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In case you haven't heard, A Muse Studio is going out of business. They went the direct sales route a few years ago and will cease to exist as of the end of November.
I think it's getting harder and harder for small businesses to survive, especially in the hobby market. There are so many online retailers, big box stores, etc. to compete with. And, as much as we all love it, stamping is a small niche in the market share for consumers' dollars.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
The economy is general is not good. Today I heard a new term - restaurant recession. Predictions are for a major economic/financial crumble in the very near future. This sort of thing effects everything - unfortunately, our crafting stores as well.
On a brighter note, I know I have enough crafting supplies to last me a very long time!
Oh no Hope...I'm so sorry! Sales of craft stuff have sharply declined in the last few years. That was a deciding factor along with hubby's accident last Black Friday that had me close Chic and Savvy Crafters and just sell on Ebay. I also have a new addiction and business...LuLaRoe clothing. I have only been selling a week and have profited nearly 600.00 this week. It's amazing!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo!!!!!!!!!! Say it ain't so! That is horrible news!! I love, love, love Amuse, their look and cling mounted rubber stamps sets. This is so sad. It feels like our favorite companies are disappearing and they're dropping like flies.
I have tons of stuff, don't get me wrong, but I still buy. I love the thrill of a new stamp, technique, medium, look... and that hasn't changed throughout the time I've been stamping, which is over 13 years (yikes). I spend a lot on this craft. Yes, I have tons I haven't used and yes, I go on and off the rubber diet bandwagon... but I still love to watch out for new products. I love everything about this hobby. And sadly, it feels like it's slowly diminishing... like the end of a fad. But it isn't a fad for me. I don't mind learning new arts or hobbies, but nothing replaces stamps, ink, dies, tools, embellishments and paper for me.
I went to a convention this weekend-- StampScrapArtTour in Edison, NJ, and maybe it's because there was a convention a few months earlier in Somerset and Delaware, but there were fewer vendors and foot traffic. I will still go (hoping it still comes back), because there is nothing like seeing products, card samples and demos in person and nothing like carrying out your goodies in hand to put into a haul pile to admire and play with, but it wasn't as good as I remembered it in years past. I left at 4pm and I almost never used to leave before the end.
And it's not just brands and stores disappearing and the shrinking shelf space at the big box stores for paper crafts, it's also the move by some existing brands from rubber to clear photopolymer or acrylic stamps. I wish they offered both options for all designs, but most don't. I just don't care for photopolymer or acrylic (a.k.a clear) like I do quality deep etch red rubber stamps on cling (yummy). I hate that clear stamps distort with pressure, yellow, get gummy, stain inevitably and deteriorate with time. I have over 20 year old red rubber stamps that still look and stamp like new. The same can't be said for some photopolymer stamps I own, which I clean meticulously and store in cool darkness.
I'm so bummed! I hope this is just a cycle and that in a year or two, when the economy is on better footing (hoping), we see a resurgence in the paper craft industry and a return of many manufacturers.
I am really worried about the rest of the industry. I keep buying, but I can't keep 'em afloat by myself.
Always sorry to hear of a closure. Never good when the choices are lessened and sad for the owners. They don't seem to be discussing it on the site or the blog yet.
This makes me sad. I have a ton of their stamps, papers and ink and love all of it. I just went through all of my stamp sets in a giant purge, and didn't pick a single Amuse set to get rid of.
__________________ aka Sue. Or Sue-odd.
No blog for me. My gallery chronicles my card-making successes and mishaps.
The message that the owner of Amuse sent to the demonstrators stated that she had decided to focus on her family (young daughters, aging mother and impending nuptials) and decided to close her company. I definitely understand re-prioritizing and don't fault her for that. However, I will miss their product. I fell in love with them on a trip to The Ink Pad in '07 before they went the DSA route. When they went the DSA route, I half-thought about joining but I had been a SU! demo for several years and didn't want to basically start over. I am an equal opportunity stamper (if I like something, I'll buy it no matter who sells it) but my core love is SU! I did place a large order yesterday with an Amuse demo that I had bought from over the years. Love their November collection.
While, like most of you, I have enough paper crafting supplies to last me several lifetimes, I love getting new stuff and am sad that companies seem to be closing left and right.
In case you haven't heard, A Muse Studio is going out of business. They went the direct sales route a few years ago and will cease to exist as of the end of November.
I'm sorry Hope. Keep on Creating! Crafting Therapy will help
Karen S
So sad. Such a classy, iconic brand. I will miss them. I fell in love so hard at my LSS goodness' knows how long ago and will never, ever get rid of my A Muse stamps. So sad for you, Hope. Hugs!
So sad. I bought so many of their wood mounted stamps from my LSS over the years. I also bought quite a bit as a demo a few years back. Loved their style and will miss them.
Wow. Really shocked to hear the news. I served on one of their design teams years ago, and it was such fun. I remember when they were sold in stores, back in the heyday during the early to mid 2000s, and they were all the rage. I still have quite a few of their wood mounted stamps and papers, along with the stamps from the Saltbox Studio. I did not realize that they had closed the Washington shop last year. Sorry to hear of another company closing.
This news absolutely breaks my heart. I went through this in 2011 with The Angel Company. I felt like a piece of my heart was ripped out of me. The community and company that I loved was no longer apart of my life. I tried a couple other companies but the they did not feel right or work well for me. I like smaller companies. Probably because I am a small town Midwest girl. I have found my new home. I pray that the Amuse consultants grieve and taken their time in deciding what to do next. Fun Stampers Journey is offering a special starter kit for Amuse consultants. Perhaps other companies are as well, so I hope Amuze consultants do their comparisons and homework. My thoughts and prayers to anyone effected by this closure.
Are they completely closing or just going to internet sales? I see their website has things but I don't want to buy if I can't restock. I used to sell for amuse several years ago and still have tons of stuff. Am just getting back to stamping after a hiatus and it's still some of my go-to stuff. However, I am a matchy matchy girl so I may need to sell some paper and ink if I need to start from scratch with another company.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo!!!!!!!!!! Say it ain't so! That is horrible news!! I love, love, love Amuse, their look and cling mounted rubber stamps sets. This is so sad. It feels like our favorite companies are disappearing and they're dropping like flies.
I have tons of stuff, don't get me wrong, but I still buy. I love the thrill of a new stamp, technique, medium, look... and that hasn't changed throughout the time I've been stamping, which is over 13 years (yikes). I spend a lot on this craft. Yes, I have tons I haven't used and yes, I go on and off the rubber diet bandwagon... but I still love to watch out for new products. I love everything about this hobby. And sadly, it feels like it's slowly diminishing... like the end of a fad. But it isn't a fad for me. I don't mind learning new arts or hobbies, but nothing replaces stamps, ink, dies, tools, embellishments and paper for me.
I went to a convention this weekend-- StampScrapArtTour in Edison, NJ, and maybe it's because there was a convention a few months earlier in Somerset and Delaware, but there were fewer vendors and foot traffic. I will still go (hoping it still comes back), because there is nothing like seeing products, card samples and demos in person and nothing like carrying out your goodies in hand to put into a haul pile to admire and play with, but it wasn't as good as I remembered it in years past. I left at 4pm and I almost never used to leave before the end.
And it's not just brands and stores disappearing and the shrinking shelf space at the big box stores for paper crafts, it's also the move by some existing brands from rubber to clear photopolymer or acrylic stamps. I wish they offered both options for all designs, but most don't. I just don't care for photopolymer or acrylic (a.k.a clear) like I do quality deep etch red rubber stamps on cling (yummy). I hate that clear stamps distort with pressure, yellow, get gummy, stain inevitably and deteriorate with time. I have over 20 year old red rubber stamps that still look and stamp like new. The same can't be said for some photopolymer stamps I own, which I clean meticulously and store in cool darkness.
I'm so bummed! I hope this is just a cycle and that in a year or two, when the economy is on better footing (hoping), we see a resurgence in the paper craft industry and a return of many manufacturers.
I am really worried about the rest of the industry. I keep buying, but I can't keep 'em afloat by myself.
Sorry to unload...
A little OT - just to say I try to stay clear (no pun intended) of acrylic stamps, but according to some long-time users, LSS owners and articles, photopolymer has come a long way in recent years. So that clear stamp from way back when may only be a distant relative of what the reputable companies are using today.
Off my clear soapbox. ; )
I'm sorry for those of you affected by the closing of A Muse. : (
A little OT - just to say I try to stay clear (no pun intended) of acrylic stamps, but according to some long-time users, LSS owners and articles, photopolymer has come a long way in recent years. So that clear stamp from way back when may only be a distant relative of what the reputable companies are using today.
Off my clear soapbox. ; )
I'm sorry for those of you affected by the closing of A Muse. : (
Hi and thanks. You might be right about the quality of newer photopolymer stamps. I have a few photopolymer sets--MFT, Prickly Pear, for over 5 years and still OK, while two Limited Edition sets, which are closer to 10 years old are yellow even though one set saw no ink and both are stored similarly in a binder in a cabinet.
Seeing where you stamp is really nice (great for allignment in multi step stamping) and photopolymer does hold ink pretty well (way better than acrylic), but I really still prefer red rubber (or pink or grey) that is deep etch and the real deal (not the synthetic rubber like Prima). I just hope there are enough old school red rubber lovers out there to keep those manufacturers busy and for stamp companies to offer a choice. Some of my red rubber stamps are over 20 years old and still good as new. To me, photopolymer is a shorter term investment, better suited for trendy designs or for folks who more frequently cycle in and out stamp sets, but not great for long term collecting IMHO. I do appreciate diversity of thought on this. We are all part of this great community. May there be enough stamps in all forms to keep us all creative and happy for the foreseeable future.
Are they completely closing or just going to internet sales? I see their website has things but I don't want to buy if I can't restock. I used to sell for amuse several years ago and still have tons of stuff. Am just getting back to stamping after a hiatus and it's still some of my go-to stuff. However, I am a matchy matchy girl so I may need to sell some paper and ink if I need to start from scratch with another company.
A friend who was a demonstrator for Amuse said the owner has decided to do online sales only.
I got curious and went to their website. They have an "2017 August Collection" banner on the home page, so I'm guessing that they're still in business online, as mentioned. Gotta go see what they've got going on (cuz, ya know, I NEED more stuff - NOT!)...
I got curious and went to their website. They have an "2017 August Collection" banner on the home page, so I'm guessing that they're still in business online, as mentioned. Gotta go see what they've got going on (cuz, ya know, I NEED more stuff - NOT!)...
I was happy to see that they are still selling their products. I don't know what I'd do without their Pebble color cardstock. Best neutral ever.
__________________ aka Sue. Or Sue-odd.
No blog for me. My gallery chronicles my card-making successes and mishaps.
A Muse Studio ...
