Monday, June 8, 2009

Scrappersaurus Online and New Inventory

Greetings, Scrappersaurus-ers!!!

We have had outstanding feedback from you, letting us know that you will continue to shop with us once we become and online-only store!!! As you can imagine, I'm elated! You know how much I love bringing y'all the latest and greatest, and the more unique products that are really hard to find. It still thrills me when a customer brings in a finished product made with items purchased through US!!! It makes me feel like all the hard (VERY hard!) work we do in researching to find y'all great stuff is really worth the effort. Thank you!

Our last day to have the storefront open will be July 21st. We have to be set up and ready to roll in Natchez for the Scrap-N-on the River event on July 23rd, and we need time to pack and get up there, unpack, set up, and be ready for another outstanding event. After the show, whatever inventory is left will be brought back straight to our mini-store in our house. No, sorry, you won't be able to come and shop in my house, but you can shop what's IN my house, online. Remember, we are a smoke-free home, so you never have to worry about that! I have two rooms set up already, and am doing my best to work on them every day to get them more ready so we won't have much "downtime" between closing the storefront and having the online store with everything online.

We will continue to offer invitation and scrapbook creation services for those who desire it, and I will continue to do one-on-one workshops with people as they request. I will even come to your home or school (or business if you have a nice boss!) and teach a workshop or bring product (or both), as I am able to. Just call or write and let me know what you are wanting. We will continue to have the Layout of the Month workshops--on both the Southshore and Northshore--and I will announce the locations and dates before we close the storefront.

I will have Felix update the website calendar next week. This week his pool team is playing in Regionals, and they're hoping to get to go to Las Vegas in August to play in tournaments there. Keep your fingers crossed, it's a lifelong dream for him!!! He's finally on a team again that is truly serious about playing, and who WANT to win. He was with several members of this team many years ago, and they did go to Las Vegas once. Those of you who shopped with us in the first store, pre-Katrina, may remember the layout he did of it, with the original newspaper article and his picture in it. Unfortunately, Katrina washed it away, and now all he has are memories of that time, but he's hoping to make new memories and get in the paper again, and make another layout! THIS time, it's going to be copied digitally, so if something happens, we'll still have the article!

Did I mention that we have the new-release small masks by Tim Holtz? Or the Tiny Attacher that is like a mini mini-stapler? It's absolutely adorable, and so much neater than those standard size or mini staples. Plus, its handles are more like pliers than a regular stapler is usually shaped. Very comfortable on the hand, and very handy in the crop room!

We also have a re-stock of StazOn re-inkers, Mini Misters, Tim Holtz Fragments and Retractible Knives, and yes, more Stickles!!!

We also have purple, green, and gold sealed-glitter papers that match our Mardi Gras lines. These are wonderful. They don't leave glitter all over your Cricut mat when you cut them, like the Sugar Papers do. They are very bright, and heavy cardstock weight. We LOVE them, and know you will too!

Keeping with the New Orleans theme, we have new crawfish paper in 8.5x11 paper. It is a scene of a man crawfishing, with the crawfish traps. Absolutely precious! And, we also have completely NEW brads, and even a real GOLD fleur de lis brad! It's a different kind of gold than the ones we've had before.

The company that makes the Scor-Pal has come out with a Scor-Bug. It is a retractable rolling wheel that rides in the channels of your Scor-Pal, creating perforations. The designs on vellum made with it are outstanding!!! Come in and check it out for yourself!

The Speakin' Up Voice Recorders are now back in stock (it's hard to keep those in, regardless of how large an order we place). We also have the Ribbon Purses back in stock, too, in several different colors.

And, even more great news: The Kokuyo Tape-N Roller and Dot'N Roller REFILLS are back in stock! Talk about a slow boat from China! LOL! It seemed like it took forever for that boat to dock and for them to clear Customs. But, we have them in, in large quantities, again.

California UnDu is in stock, as well, so if you live in California and have been looking for UnDu, we have the special formulation that we can now ship to you (legally!). Same great product, same acid-free, non-smear, non-run, quick-dry formula--just now created to meet your EPA standards and whatnot.

Whew!!! That's a lot to remember, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch, too. So, come on in, and see, feel, touch what you can while we still have the storefront. Ask for the sale of the day when come, to make sure you get the best prices!

Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!

Dee

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Change is on the Horizon for Scrappersaurus

I know, I know... I haven't blogged in what seems like forever. Sorry. Things have a way of getting in the way, and before you realize it, it's been too long. Hopefully, this post will catch everybody up.

National Scrapbook Day was absolutely fantastic! We had a wonderful group of people who had a great time throughout the day, playing games, eating food from Pontchartrain Poboys, and doing make-and-takes. A lot of customers also participated in the great make-and-takes when they came in to shop. Karen Foster Design really came through for us, and so did Bo Bunny and Lou! We had tons of giveaways, and also gave all the participants different "alterables". I think they had a lot of fun with those. So many people do not realize exactly what an "alterable" is...and they certainly learned then! One lady did a most awesome pirate-themed box, another did an altered purse...all kinds of things!

On another, more serious note now. I have finally decided to go ahead and have the surgeries on my back. (Yes, that was plural--I need two separate procedures done.) That will make it pretty much impossible to run a storefront while I am recuperating, and I'll need Felix and Emery to help me personally, and with our house and pets. This means that Scrappersaurus will be closing its storefront by August 1st, and becoming strictly an online store. You will still be able to get your Kokuyo Dot'N Roller and Tape'N Roller refills from us, because we're not going anywhere, and we'll ship them to you or you can come pick them up from us! We will continue to specialize in and stock the local themes: New Orleans, Mardi Gras, Louisiana, southern, fleur de lis, LSU, etc. We will also continue the Layout of the Month Club, as we have Design Team members who are willing to pitch in and help out while I am unable to work on it myself. Our Design Team members are extremely creative and very helpful, and I know their assistance will be greatly appreciated by both Scrappersaurus as well as the LOTM members.

Also, economically-speaking, it simply is no longer financially viable for us to have a brick-and-mortar store. We have a thriving online business, and honestly some days we do better online than we do in the storefront. Felix is teaching me how to work on the website with him, and as we get new products in, we will be scanning them and adding them to the webstore. We will continue to bring you new products, and to include new techniques with them in the Layout of the Month kits. We have a few die-hard customers who are really pushing us to find means to continue to meet for workshops locally, and we are looking into that option. We have been with you since 2004, and now, five years later, you are ingrained in our hearts as well as our lives. We want to continue to be a part of your life, and an integral part of your crafting supplies and education sources. We love you!!!

I have not yet scheduled my surgeries, and I will not do so until the storefront is completely closed. I will post when the time draws near, as many of you have asked me to. I thank you for all your prayers and good wishes. They are very much needed and very much appreciated!

YES, WE WILL STILL BE A VENDOR AT SCRAP'N ON THE RIVER!!! We will bring tons of products, some of which are new releases that I can't wait to get my hands on! Make sure you come see us in Natchez and check out the new stuff! I will not be able to work the booth, but Emery and Felix will, and I will do demonstrations throughout the day as my back allows. I look forward to seeing you all! This is a VERY fun event, and although it has a good number of attendees, it still seems "close and personal". Pam Frank is a wonderful person, and she puts on one heck of an event! Scrappersaurus has a table in front of the booth reserved for customers who request to sit near us. If you have not yet called or emailed us to be seated at our table, please do so immediately--we don't want anybody left out!

Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!

Dee