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Paula, Have fun at your open house tomorrow!
I just saw the mini. The Halloween sets are darling! I think I can resist the Christmas sets. The trimmings are fun too. Good thing I can spread my order out
Missi
So my open house was a total bust. I had four ladies come do a class this morning and they all came and three of them did the open house make and takes and two of them signed up for classes.
Then I had three quiet hours of just sitting here waiting to see if anyone would come. Just my neighbor who I asked to help me. Guess I have my project ready for the shoebox swap I'm going to next month.
Trying not to get too discouraged by it. Now I know that classes are better for me and my crowd than open houses. I think when the new catalog launches in January, I will have a card buffet with the new sets from the preview in stead of an open house.
Aww, I'm sorry, Paula. Open houses are hard, because people don't feel any obligation to show up. If you call it a "party", and promise specials or bonuses for attending, sometimes it works better. {{{Hugs}}}
Location: Oklahoma...State (OSU) We love 'em even when they lose, and we're never disappointed!
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Originally Posted by amysings
I finished (I think!) a prototype for GWTWJunkie's swap. Hers is due Sept 1, so I needed to get moving.
My goal is to get all the prototypes done by next Friday. I *think* I can use a similar card for the Sizzix card front swap. :-) Multi tasking rocks!
GO Amy! I am about in the same boat for swaps (ack!), but I want to do the index cards for SCS for which I signed up first....
I'm sorry Paula! I ask them to RSVP (and I have one at night and one the next day for a couple of hours) and include a mystery hostess drawing (more if there are more orders) plus other small drawings in addition to the make and takes. Might not be helpful, but I thought I'd share.
I had advertised that I would have free make and takes, door prizes and a free gift with purchase. I did not require an RSVP which I would do if I was going to to do it again. Turned out just to be a very busy day for a lot of people.
I am really not too disheartened by it. I do have things going on that make it OK. I have a marker club that ends this month, a hostess club and several classes planned.
I actually had two sign up to make the Spooky Spider Jar that was shown at convention. It actually surprised me that anyone wanted to do it, but I am only charging for the cost of the element and the jar and I raised the prices for the other projects at the class to cover my time. (I figure the jar takes no prep time other than going to Walmart and I am there at least once a week anyway.)
Seems like my customers like Amy's way of doing classes where I let them pick from a menu of projects and they only pay for the ones they want to do. They like that a lot better than a camp where I pick the projects and they just show up and make them.
And I told my upline I would help her at a craft day for her church. I am doing a count down to Christmas calendar and there are 17 people signed up for it. Just hope I can find enough cookie sheets.
I haven't ever been brave enough to take on the cookie sheet advent calendars. LOL They seem very involved!
What kind of cookie sheets do you use?
Dollar store ones. The ones I bought last year, I actually got in Boise when we were there for Thanksgiving. It was the dollar tree that is by Texas Roadhouse.
This is not a very good picture and the ones we are making are a bit different (the flower is gone and the font for the letters is from my cricut this time and not my cuttlebug and I think there are only three trees on it.) But it gives you an idea.
Promise not to throw too many arrows? I charged $10 when I did it for my customers last year. For my upline's church group, only $7.50. I didn't want to make a profit off of a church function. And obviously I won't be able to recruit customers either since my upline is right there. I'm doing it more as a favor to her than anything and the $7.50 covers the cost.
No arrows from me! I just sold a bunch of cards at work at $1.00 each.
I haven't ever had a class, because I'm too nervous that I would undercharge for it and it would end up costing me money. So, now I've confessed that I am a big chicken. :oops:
Missi
Back from Sun Valley - pretty sunburned but very relaxed after 3 days with my DH & my parents!
Paula - those calendars are great! I'm infamous for under charging as well but as long as people have fun and I don't lose money, I'm okay with it. Sorry to hear about your open house but I'm sure things will pick up for you. Your projects & cards are too cute for people not to jump at the opportunity to make them.
__________________ Remember to slow down and "stamp" the flowers.
Thanks Stacy and Rhonda and Amy and Missi. I know my customers have sticker shock and won't do the project no matter how cute or how involved if it is priced high.
Hello everyone! I can't believe you guys still have swap mojo! :p
Paula, I know what you mean about the open house. I didn't call mine an open house, I am calling it a new catalog kickoff party. It is this Saturday and so far only 2 RSVPs. But having just one person show up is a success right? you never know if that person is going to become your best customer!! (Easy to say, I know, especailly after all the work that goes into it).
I FINALLY finished my convention Make & Takes this weekend. I want sit them out at my party, so I had to finish them :mrgreen:
So I had a convention flash back this weekend. I went to the opening of the new Lucas Oil Staidum here in Indianapolis. You could tour the facility for free if you were able to get the ticket. There were about 20,000 people at the time we went and it was very hard to get around. At one point we were being herded through a hallway and it reminded me of the first day of convention when I was trying to get to the Hobby to Business class...ahh memories:-D
Good weekend for me here.. got some organizing done, made room for new stamps and paper and now I am ready to do my swaps for GWTW and the BS swap.. oh and make some birthday cards for several past due b days! oops!
so.. your opinions ladies.. are you ladies getting go-go boots or the serif alpha at $149? I was really thinking about the serif one. It would be a workshop and I would get our 20% plus bennies. so that's not a terrible deal. I am just thinking that maybe SU is going to come out with one of our own alphas in the dies.. and then I will "need" that one too. hmm.. let me know your thoughts.
OH another dilemma. I have entered my stampin start order 3 times now. I am getting two free sets. Well this is really rough because I am trying to get "new to this catalog" sets and at the highest value (over $35 at least). Now while I really appreciate that SU lowered the prices on many sets (so many $20 to $25 sets this time.. woo hoo!), it makes my choice for high end sets much more complicated.
I am torn between:
the new rose one
flower fancy
birthday sayings set
pretty peony
I have roses in winter which I like better than the new rose.. .but the new one matches the bella DSP so well..
I love flower fancy.. but it is so similar to heartfelt thanks.
pretty peony is not new to the catalog.. but makes such lovely flowers.
the birthday sayings is great... but do I need something else more.
OH and NO MORE alphas for me until I see die cut next to the name. I hate cutting out those things...
so ladies.. I would appreciate your feedback if you have some time to ponder it... or what you would be ordering if you had two free sets to get.
hope you are having a great monday. I am so ready to leave work.. but alas, I have too much to do (and instead I am on SCS.. :rolleyes: )
__________________ Hi, My name is Liz, and I am a SWAPaholic.. MY BLOG
I am holding off on the alphas till I see the next phase. Be aware that if you buy Sizzlit alpha, it will only cut cardstock and DSP, not chipboard.
Free sets. Hmmm. I am always so bad at choosing those! Ask Paula what she got. LOL I think if you are doing workshops/classes, get the new Rose set and the new Bday sayings set. If you just do it for *you*, get the ones you love. How's that for no advice at all?? :-)
Quick question for you Amy.. when you do your card buffet.. how does that work? do you have them RSVP which cards they like to make? I may want to try something like that.
I am thinking the big alpha rather than the sizzlets.. I like the idea of cutting chipboard... its' such a big investment though.. more than the BS itself!
__________________ Hi, My name is Liz, and I am a SWAPaholic.. MY BLOG
Card Buffet: each month when they come, they sign up for the next month. I have the projects out, along with sign up sheets. Most will sign up and prepay. I have a small incentive (this month it was an In Color bookmark) for those who prepay that night.
Some like to order later and pay by paypal. I have an order/refund cutoff date about 5-6 days before the first session of Card Buffet. I usually cut one-two extra of each card. I have a few that like to pay me that night, but they've been coming so long, it has been fine.
I usually do 5 cards, a technique project ($5), and 1-2 3D projects. You can see my cardbuffet blog at http://cardbuffet.blogspot.com
Flower Fancy
Party Hearty
Best Wishes and More
Always
Seasons of Joy
I picked Flower Fancy because I liked it the best and didn't already have heartfelt thanks. Not into those big roses much. But that is a personal thing. I know that a lot of people already have party hearty and it was a toss up between that and crazy for cupcakes. But I thought Party Hearty would sell more punches. And I've heard Best Wishes and More is the set for regionals this fall, but I won't be going to any. And that bird from Always finally grew enough on me to justify the set (I loved the rest of it).
Good luck with your choice. I'm having the same debate about the sizzix alphabets. I love the serif one and can think of sooooo many projects they would be perfect for. But I just can't spend that much more right now. Maybe in a couple of months when my spread sheet isn't quite so upside down.
i'm definitely going to get the birthday sayings one. I checked out the gallery.. cute things for it. and most likely the rose one although it may end up being flower fancy at the last minute..
why are these decisions so hard? ;)
it's a rough life.. i know..
have a great evening. I am headed home now. I actually finished my work.. at work! woo hoo for me!
__________________ Hi, My name is Liz, and I am a SWAPaholic.. MY BLOG
My new order just came today, and I'm too wiped out to even look at it :( The state came to survey our hospital today and I've been running all day. What a headache, and of course they will be here all this week.
Amy,
What are you doing for your In Color bookmark? My club is this Saturday and I thought about CASEing the one on Patty Bennett's blog, but I'm too tired to figure it out. I've still got to design one more project and then prep.
Missi
Liz, I had 4 sets coming and got:
Flower Fancy
A Rose is a Rose (I did not have WR, Peony, SSunflower, etc. so really wanted this one)
Frames with a Flourish (I know...)
and Fundamental Phrases (ditto...but all things considered, I will enjoy these two the most.)
I just could not bring myself to get the new b-day set. So...
I am also waiting on alphas (die cut AND Big Shot).
Amy, thanks for posting your card buffet info. I'm going to start these this fall along with RSVP with PREPAY, BONUS project. I'm sick of no-shows. I may not get 100% resolution, but an improvement will help my spirits.
Amy,
What are you doing for your In Color bookmark? My club is this Saturday and I thought about CASEing the one on Patty Bennett's blog, but I'm too tired to figure it out. I've still got to design one more project and then prep.
Missi
I'm going to try to attach the Word doc. The sweet demo, Kelly Schudi, who "swapped it to me" sent me her file. In the empty boxes, she stamped a small flower in the In Color and then added a 1/2" circle punch of the cs.
I got one of the book marks too. They are very nice.
I spent yesterday cleaning my craft room and sorting through a huge box of scraps that accumulated during the swap making process. I just threw them in the box instead of sorting and filing them. With that project behind me, I was ready to create. Can't believe how much I actually stamped today and some of it was just playing around. I posted to my gallery if anyone is interested in seeing what I came up with.
NOT panicing here! I have a workshop on Saturday...got my order, unpacked it and mounted stamps...have not done one single thing to prepare for my workshop or even been in my room since. Breathing...breathing...it will be okay. The week is early yet and there is always Friday night right?!
Have to mow the wilderness that is supposed to be the yard tonight, have a taste testing tomorrow night and have to do laundry and get groceries to load in the motorhome so DH can leave Sunday morning...it wouldn't be such a big deal except my workhop on Saturday is an hour and a half drive one way (but the hostess is my sister so I do this happily) but will not be able to stay and visit because of leaving on Sunday for over a week camping.
I have to work on Monday so I am going up after work - at least then I have time to prepare my stuff to bring for my class in September. And bring whatever I forgot to pack. Oh, and work on my swaps!
Liz - I always find it harder to spend my free money than my own money. Don't know why that is...I ordered the birthday sayings set...used the old one so much, I need new things to break up the monotony. I love Wild Rose so I have mixed feelings about the new set...
Paula - my first open house I had 3 people come. Two were my neighbors that I had never met...and she called for directions ~ that is another story, but I was describing the horses in front of my house and she said those were her horses! The 3rd person who came heard about my OH through someone I know at church (who did not come) and she ended up being a recruit a week later ~ and then moved to Italy 9 months later, but who knew that opportunity would happen!
no stampin for me this weekend... out of town family event. Should be fun though!!
What the heck is wrong with me? did I NOT just get a bazillion swaps from convention? wasn't that insanity enough for me? what am I doing perusing the Demo Swap forum? somebody slap me. I don't even have room in my stampin space for the swaps I got from convention. I had to purge all my magazines to make space.
I need to reaffirm..
My name is Liz and I'm a swapaholic. I am currently signed up for three swaps:
GWTW - using upsy daisy & BS- due Sept 1
Buckeye Stamper - Big shot swap - due mid Sept
Off SCS swap- 20 new catty swaps- due at upline meeting Aug 30
NO MORE..
(at least until another good one comes up.. )
__________________ Hi, My name is Liz, and I am a SWAPaholic.. MY BLOG
Off SCS swap- 20 new catty swaps- due at upline meeting Aug 30
I hear ya, too! For THAT meeting alone:
BS swap (cut this weekend)
paper sample swap (done)
general swapping (materials cut)
presentation (to put together this weekend)
Display items - figure out how to get 'em there!
Oh, and I have a swap here to do and a couple of index prints. Want to do those this weekend, too, but could wait until after the 30th.
BS swap (cut this weekend)
paper sample swap (done)
general swapping (materials cut)
presentation (to put together this weekend)
Display items - figure out how to get 'em there!
Oh, and I have a swap here to do and a couple of index prints. Want to do those this weekend, too, but could wait until after the 30th.
Sick, sick, sick...
I'm presenting for that meeting too. What was I thinking about volunteering to present! luckily I don't have to do any of the cutting for the paper swap. I had to send a full pack of WW for that swap.
What is the BS swap you are doing for it? I can't keep up with all the emails from that group!
OK.. i am going downstairs to stamp and do laundry. No more perusing the web for potential swaps tonight. gotta finish what I signed up for first!
hope you all have a good evening all!
__________________ Hi, My name is Liz, and I am a SWAPaholic.. MY BLOG
Rhonda - Thanks for the heads up that this weekend is a VSN weekend! I'm totally in - on Saturday.
I am meeting a fellow stamper and we are making bridal shower invites with little tags with the times. No prototypes yet but my mom and sister did it for me and it was so cute. Reminds me how long ago I was married though - can't remember what they looked like!
Lisa - I'm with you on the camp prep. I have all my samples packed for my party and two of the three projects in my cute little convention tote (which works PERFECTLY for carrying party supplies!) But I'm stuck on the 3rd card. I can't get away from Riding Hood Red & So Saffron. My craft table is covered in patterned paper and scraps in these colors! They are making my open house bookmark since I have leftovers and it shows them the In Colors. Other card uses Pink Pirouette & Chocolate Chip with the Heard from the Heart set. Any other color combos anyone suggests? Pleez? DH wants to golf tomorrow night since it's only going to be low 80s tomorrow but I would hate to miss it becuase I'm in a creative crisis.
__________________ Remember to slow down and "stamp" the flowers.
You know you are not feeling well when your first order from the new catalog has been in your possession for over 12 hours and everything is still in the box!
I was not feeling well last night and when I got home DH told me I had some boxes by the front door I said I was like...Oh...OK..whatever. Are you kidding me? I have been looking forward to getting that order since I placed it!
I am feeling a little better today, so I'm going to at least unpack it!
