30 Days of Thankful

I was inspired by Cathy Zielski to create a mini album this month to celebrate all that I am thankful for.  On Fridays, she is posting her pages for the previous 7 days and asking others to do the same.  She has a great digital product available to help people do this project easily but I have decided to create my own using hers as inspiration.  Below are my first 7 days.

Fall Fun at The Inspiration Station

You know we never stop bringing you awesome products and exciting events, but Fall always seems to be bursting with classes. The year is no exception. In addition to our regular line up of Card Club classes, Tim Holtz inspired "Tags for all Seasons", and our regular monthly Christmas card class; we also have an awesome Halloween Mixed Media Canvas which will feature the use of melted beeswax.  Donna will also be offering another Sunday of Christmas cards, November 5.  There will be 2 classes with 4 different cards in each.

We also have a fun Halloween Crop planned where you can kick up your heels for a Ghouls Night Out on Oct 20th from 10am-10pm

The following weekend, Oct 27th, we have Cheryl Mezzetti coming back to teach a fabulous Mixed Media project.. 

This time, Cheryl will be teaching us how to use the new range of Viva Decor and Luminarte products along with many other mixed media products from Ranger Industries.  Think of this more as a workshop than a class since you will be getting hands on instruction from Cheryl for FOUR hours! There will be an hour break for lunch.

When you register, be sure to give us your email address so we can send you the supply list.
Space is limited so be sure to register today.

Special Guest Cheryl Mezzetti

Join us at The Inspiration Station on October 27th as we welcome back the incredible Cheryl Mezzetti for another fabulous class.

This time, Cheryl will be teaching us how to use the new range of Viva Decor and Luminarte products along with many other mixed media products from Ranger Industries.  Think of this more as a workshop than a class since you will be getting hands on instruction from Cheryl for FOUR hours! There will be an hour break for lunch.

When you register, be sure to give us your email address so we can send you the supply list.
Space is limited so be sure to register today.

I have survived.

Yes, I'm still around.  I survived the construction of our new home and have moved all of my junk into it.  Well, it's all in the garage, but at least it's on the new property.  I still need to go through many boxes and throw stuff away since my dear husband and his helpers literally threw everything in sight into boxes and moved it; including the stuff I had set aside to donate or discard... Good help is hard to find!

I seriously have no idea how I am going to fit all my stuff into my new craft room.  In the old house I had a 13' wall of counter and built in book shelves.  I didn't realize how much stuff I had stored in that space.  All I have for horizontal surfaces now is a corner desk and a very large pub table as a work surface. I need to figure out where all of my die cut machines are going to go now.

It only took a few days to get our phone and satellite TV set up but we had to wait a couple of weeks to get internet.  Because we sit so far back in the woods, no one could provide internet service - I called ten different companies before I finally was able to get a satellite company to come out.  I feel like I just came back from the dark side of the moon!

All we have left is the sale of our old house.  Thankfully, we do have a contract on it, but the hassles of all the inspections and reports is wearing on our nerves.  Hopefully, we will get through all of it and be able to close in the next few weeks.  That will take a huge weight off of us.  Keep your fingers crossed.

I am also trying to relocate my friendly feral cat, Tut.  Remember him? He's the one that Magenta rubber stamps made a stamp of a couple years ago.  Everything I've read says it's almost impossible to relocate a feral successfully, especially since we only moved a mile away.  The chances are very good that he will return to the old house. He really is not an ordinary feral cat, he has been in my care since his mother abandoned him under my porch when he was only a few weeks old. He and his sister were the first ferals I took in for the Sterile Feral program through Our Companions back in 2008.  His sister fell through the ice on our swimming pool a few months later and drown and I was heartbroken.  He has always been a love to me but wont go near anyone else. Last night he allowed me to pick him up and put him in the crate so I brought him home with me. Right now, he is loose in my garage, hiding behind some of those boxes I talked about earlier.  He comes to me every time I go out there and call him and nuzzles up to me purring.  He has eaten, but not used the litter box yet; he's never had to use a box so I'm not sure he will. If he doesn't, I don't know how long I can keep him in.  I am afraid he will get a UTI if he holds it too long.

On a brighter note; we have other animals who have made themselves at home here.  Check out this albino deer and its mama eating the grass in our front yard! We've seen it several times now but this was the first chance I go to get a decent picture.

So, if you've read this far...Thanks.  You were probably hoping to read something about what's happening at The Inspiration Station, but as you can see, I have been quite preoccupied. I am slowly getting back to work (now that I have internet) so you should be seeing some more consistent updates. We have lots of classes coming up, including Guest Instructor Cheryl Mezzetti on October 27.  We also have a great time planned at our Ghouls Night Out Halloween Crafting Crop on October 20th from 10-10. Come in Costume for a special surprise!

Busy weeks coming up

Please note that we will be CLOSED on Labor Day.

I will be away for the week on vacation and when I get back I plan to torture the girls by making them do a physical inventory of the store.  So if you love them (and I know you do) you will help them out by coming in prior to Sept 10th and buying lots of stuff so they don't have to count it.  And just in case your thinking, "what's in it for me?"; I am going to entice you with the following sale effective Tues, Sept 4 through Sun, Sept 10:

• All Pattern Paper - Buy 2 get one Free *
• All Magnolia stamps - 30% Off
• All Little Yellow Bicycle Embellishments - 25% Off 
• All Radiant Rain sprays - 25% Off  
• All Unibind Products - 20% Off

My new house is also just about ready!  They will be finishing the hardwood floors while we are away and it will be ready to move into when we get back!

Also in the works for spring is a weekend scrapbook retreat.  I have wanted to do this for so many years but just have not had the time to do the planning.  I have found a woman who is very experienced in retreat planning to handle the arrangements for us and as soon as I have more details I will share them with you.  It's going to be so much fun!

Upcoming events

Hello Everyone!

I’m finally taking a few moments to update my sad and lonely blog.  I really don’t know how some people manage to keep their blogs updated with interesting and fresh ideas on a daily basis. It’s just so hard to get myself to stop moving long enough to do it.  Anyway…

Yesterday was our Summer Camp Bus Tour.  This was the first year we were involved in this particular tour.  Our campers had a fabulous time visiting the stores and doing make and takes, even though it was a long day.  In the end, we were all very happy and very tired.  Several ladies came back and asked us to sign them up for the next trip.  Whoa, ladies!!!  Let me get rested from this one first!  I’m sure we will be back to our normal Spring Bus Tour sometime in April of 2013, but it is far too early to know specifics.

In the meantime, I still need to sell my house…  This whole thing about staging the house and having showings without any offers is really getting old.  I want to get my stuff out of the boxes and closets it’s hiding in so I can play!  The new house will be ready about the first of September so I can start moving stuff in there when we get back from vacation.  Vacation?  What’s that?  We haven’t taken a vacation since 2007!  Oh the joys of having our own business!  But yes, my husband and I will be going on a cruise to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia - Our first vacation without kids since 1998.  When we get back, we will be moving. 

At the store, Terry and Donna will be keeping things running (smoothly, I hope).  We have a LOT of great classes scheduled in September including Zentangle Basics, Christmas Cards, and our very special guest, Suzanne Dean.  If you have never taken a class with Suzanne you are in for a treat.  She is a phenomenal instructor and one of the best teachers for Copic Markers I have ever met.  This will be her only Connecticut appearance for this year, so go to her website to register NOW.  Seriously.  You don’t want to miss her.  She’s THAT good.

In October, We have the fabulous Cheryl Mezzetti coming back to The Inspiration Station on the 27^th.  We are still waiting on details for which projects she will teach but we do know there will be two classes.  Mark your calendar now so you can be sure to make it.

We are also making plans for an all-day Halloween Crop on October 20^th.  Twelve hours of crop time that will be Spooktacular!  My Pinterest account has been working overtime with ideas, this is going to be so much fun! Call the store to sign up right away because space is limited.

Also in the works…another visit from our friend, Ken Oliver!  In case you didn’t know, Ken is now working for Spellbinders and has been traveling around the country as their education coordinator as well as working on their design team.  It looks like he may be visiting us sometime in October.  We’ll keep you posted.

Ok, that’s enough for now.  I need to save something for a future post, right?  Have a great day!

Free Demo this Sunday

Make plans now to attend our FREE product Demonstration on Sunday, Aug 19th (Yes, this Sunday) from 11am -1pm. Karyn will be here showing ways to combine the amazing Cover a Card background stamps from Impression Obsession, Inc.
Everyone who visits during the demo will be entered into a drawing for a FREE Cover a card stamp!

12 more days...

Only 12 more days...
The bus will be rolling on Aug 19th loaded with campers who want to have fun. We'll have your bags packed, activities planned and food prepared. I even have a special surprise for our Happy Campers. Call or come in to sign up yourself and you friends (because it's always more fun with friends!). Oh, did I mention prizes... yeah, we got those too! Our friends at Right at Home Scrapbooking and Papercraft Clubhouse are getting ready to welcome you.

15 days

And the countdown is on...

15 days until the Summer Camp Bus Tour!  We've got so much fun planned. I am putting together VERY special goodie bags for the ladies on our bus.  Would you like one?  All you have to do is register and get on the bus.

In additional to all of the wonderful gifts you will be receiving at the other stores, and the discounted shopping, and the food and prizes; everyone who registers with The Inspiration Station will be entered into a prize drawing for a gift basket worth $100! (this is a much smaller group than our usual bus tour so your chances are even better!)  So much goodness going on - it it could be yours! But only if you GET ON THE BUS!

Crazy. Insane. Out of control.

Look!  My cabinets are going in!

Crazy. Insane. Out of control.  That's how you can describe my life this month! For those who don't know; I am building a new home.  We are almost done.  Yippee Skippee for that!  However, that means that in additional to all of the fun and wonderful things we have going on at the Station, I am continually "on-call" for the contractors and the real estate agent who is trying to sell my house. So please be patient with me if updates are not quite on time (or correct as is the case with the Mixed media class info in last week's newsletter!) I have also been in meetings with lots of Manufacturer Reps ordering new product for Fall and the Holidays.  Things are already arriving from CHA- just don't ask me what, because I honestly don't have a clue! I do know that a lot of paper has been moved to clearance in anticipation of the new lines, so you may want to come in and grab what you can from the 4 for $1 bin.

Important!!!  If you need information about anything, PLEASE call the store!  If you email me I may or may not get it in a timely fashion.  The girls at the store know as much as I do, probably more these days, and can answer your questions, sign you up for classes and take orders for any of the new goodies that may be coming in. As much as I love talking to you all personally, I am just not around much these days and even when I am, that doesn't mean my brain is working!!  I hope to get my brain back sometime in mid September after a much needed vacation.

 

New stuff arriving

A great new stamp board arrived from Darcie's.  Come check it out.

New Customs school supplies for EO Smith, Stafford High School and Tolland High School.  Not all items are pictured.

Loads of inspiration this week

Hello Everbody!

I wanted to stop in to let you know that this week (and next) will be loaded with inspiration for your crafty little brains.  Why? Two things, actually. First off, the annual Summer Craft & Hobby Assoc. show will be happening very soon in Chicago and that means Sneak Peeks from all the vendors. Secondly, we will be celebrating Christmas in July at the Station.

I am not sure, really, which Holiday is Donna's favorite; Halloween or Christmas.  But every year at this time she gets completely out of control with ideas, makes my head spin, and then runs off on vacation to Ocean City. It's that time again....  I am trying really hard to keep her in line, but seriously, it is a losing battle.  I think she scares Terry too because she just left on vacation!  So, forgive me if I am a little more distracted as usual but it really is a full time job to keep up with her!

Before she runs away she will be teaching a ton of fabulous classes- and I even have pictures of some of them!  So, in order of appearance, here they are:

Card Club July 10th & 17th

Beach Tray July 12th

Christmas cards  July 15  11 am  & July 19

Christmas Cards July 15 2pm

There will also be a third set of Christmas Cards on July 26th but I don't have those samples yet.

I will also be teaching a Christmas in July Layout (2 page Scrapbook Page) on Saturday, July 21st.  It is almost done and I will post a photo soon.


Now- for the new CHA releases....

There are so many!  They are being posted daily, in fact in some cases every few hours.  There is no way I can keep up with all of them but as something really strikes me I do link to it on the Facebook Page.  Please check there daily and comment on the things you like.  The more comments I get the easier it is for me to decide what to order.

I will be working on the newsletter tomorrow so until then; Happy Crafting!

Christmas In July - Part 1

This is set 1 of the Christmas In July cards. This class will be Sunday, July 15th at 11am

This one is sure to sell out so call today to register!

Amazing Artwork

I would like to share with you something that makes me very happy.


A local artist, who is also a customer and friend of The Inspiration Station has given me permission to share a piece of her artwork with you. She is the ring-leader of a small group of artists whom she has named the Creative Journalist Society and inspires us every month with her amazing talent. Below is her creation for our June meeting; the theme was "The Inspiration Station".

Artwork by Jill Mordasky - All Rights Reserved.

This gorgeous watercolor sketch was created by the amazing and multi-talented, Jill Mordasky. Look closely at how she incorporated so many small details that she found in and around our store.  The first thing that caught my eye was our little squirrel out back (yes, you know how I see squirrels) with the caption "Come gather lots of ideas". I love all of the colors she used and how she added pieces of the store facade, the flower boxes and even the granite steps on the side of the building. But then look what she did. She sketched the padlock on one of our doors out back and wrote "Come inside to unlock your creativity and bring joy to your life..."  I love it!


Thank you, Jill, for allowing me to share this with my friends. I am so honored that you chose to be inspired by my little happy place!


To see more of Jill's work you can follow the link under the photo.  Her work is often on display at the Stafford Public Library and in various exhibits in the area.

Summer Camp Bus Tour 2012

Summer Camp Bus Tour Announcement...

Take a break this summer and join Right at Home Scrapbooking, The Inspiration Station and Papercraft Clubhouse on our Summer Camp 2012 Bus Tour. 

On Sunday, August 19th the Camp Bus will pull up at each of these three fabulous stores, do a roll call, then you and your camp counselor will begin your adventure packed journey!  This is a unique trip since you will be able to travel to both MA and CT stores on the same Camp Bus.  You will not want to be left behind. 

You will start your journey with a continental breakfast at your Home store, some quick shopping, and chatting with friends, board the Camp Bus and begin your papercrafting journey to the next Camp.  Games (and did we mention prizes) will keep you busy while in transit. 

At each store you will receive a free gift, discounted shopping, lunch (at one store), and special demos prepared especially for you.  You will have ample time to find out what makes each of these unique stores so special, make some new friends, and, of course, do some shopping before boarding the Camp Bus and heading to your next stop. 

A limited number of seats are available at each location.  Tickets must be purchased in advance from your host store (this is the store where you will start and end your journey). The cost of this fun day is $65.00 payable at time of your registration.  This fee is non-refundable unless the store has a wait list.  

Registration Begins Tuesday, June 26^th at 10:00am with a special gift for those who register before July 15^th. 

Check out our Blog and Facebook Page for more peeks of what fun we have planned! 

Busy time of year

Whoever said, "Summer time and the livin' is easy", must have lived in a different world! 

There is nothing "easy" about this summer for me anyway.  Life is incredibly crazy at the Riendeau household (as it usually is) and summer time means added craziness at the store as my ladies all take vacations.  Below is a rundown of some of the things happening at the store, but first a few updates on my personal craziness.  Feel free to scroll down if you are not interested, you won't hurt my feelings!

First off, a huge relief and sense of pride this week as my youngest son, Adam, graduated from high school.  For those of you who know a bit about my son, and the struggles he has had over the years battling a disabling combination of Asperger's syndrome and mental illness, you know that we weren't sure we would ever see this day. As difficult as the last few years have been, the really hard work now begins as he tries to find his place in this world. If you believe in prayer, I ask that you keep him in your prayers.  He has a very hard road ahead of him, but today we celebrate this achievement.

A peek into our new living room

Now onto my house...  We are moving along much quicker on the construction than I was anticipating!  That is a good thing, especially after the nightmare we dealt with while building the barn/garage last year.  However, now is the time that I am required to be more involved in the day to day of the construction and decision making.  The electrical and plumbing passed inspections this week and insulation and drywall are set to begin as soon as the temperature drops below 90-- insulation is bad enough on a cool day but in this heat and humidity it is downright torture!






Of course, moving along quickly means I have to sell my current house...  See my previous post for my lament about that.  If you know anyone looking for a great property for horses, equipment storage, or just an enormous amount of space, the house is listed with Coldwell Banker and our agent is Pam Moriarty.  She's awesome.

Here's a look at some of the shopping I've been doing!

****************

So, now that you have seen some of my crazy life out side the store I suppose you want to know what's happening IN the store.  Well, we are joining forces with 7 other stores in Mass and CT for a Summer Stroll from July 1 through Sept. 8th.  More details can be found in my previous post.  It's a great way to spend a couple of days with your girlfriends taking road trips!


Speaking if road trips, how would you like to take a road trip but leave the driving to someone else?    Take a break this summer and join Right at Home Scrapbooking, The Inspiration Station and Papercraft Clubhouse on our Summer Camp Bus Tour.  On Sunday, August 19th the Camp Bus will pull up at each of these three fabulous stores, do a roll call and then you and your camp counselor will begin your adventure packed journey!  This is a unique trip since you will be able to travel to both MA and CT stores on the same Camp Bus.  You will not want to be left behind.   More information will be posted tomorrow.


We also will be running a Kid's Kamp for children ages 8 and older.  See details here.


Of course, summer time also means Christmas in July and this year the classes will fall on Sunday, July 15th .  Donna has all sorts of fabulous ideas but as always, they are still in her head so I have nothing to show you!  I will keep on her though and hopefully will have some samples for next week's newsletter.


Now, to clear up something we have been getting a lot of calls about.  No, we will NOT be doing a Customer Tag Sale this year.  The tag sale is an enormous amount of work for us and we just cannot do it at this time (read the above!)  I know many people look forward to it, but with all of the other things we have going on (me in particular) it just is not a good use of our time and resources.  Will we ever do it again?  Probably.  But when we do we will be doing it differently.  It will need more vendor involvement in the way of set up and take down to free up our staff.  I am still trying to find a happy medium between having it and doing away with it completely.  When things settle down I can give it more thought.


I'm sure there is more to catch up on but I need to get to the store to take over while Donna teaches her Tim Inspired Tags class so it will have to wait for the next post.  If you want more frequent updates please go to our Facebook page and "like us".  That is much easier for me to update ( I can do it from my phone!).  Also, when you are in the store, be sure to "Check In" on your smartphone.  That helps keep us showing up in your news feed.

Kids Kamp with Kristen

Summer Stroll 2012

Please join us this year for our Summer Stroll 2012.  We promise you a summer full of fun as you visit all of the Crafter's Home stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Stop in to the Station beginning June 15th and before July 15th, and purchase a Summer Stroll Passport for $10.00.  Our summer stroll passports will be valid July 1 through September 8th, 2012.  In addition to your passport you'll also be receiving a fabulous shopping bag from us in July.  This bag will be perfect to bring with you on your stroll and elsewhere.

What do you get with your summer stroll Passport-You will get to visit each of the participating stores and receive a one-time 20% discount off your product purchase (some exclusions may apply, please check with each store).  That store will then validate that you have visited them, and then you'll be off to your next store.  This is such a great way to visit all your favorites and even check out a few you have always wanted to see. 

All completed passports should be returned to your home store (the one you purchased the passport from) by the week of September 8th, so that you will be entered into the drawing.   We will be having a drawing for a prize valued at $100.00 - That's right you just might win $100.00 worth of goodies.  There will be a winner announced at each store the week of September 10th. 

Passports are available for purchase from June 15th through July 15th, after July 15th they will no longer be available. 

 Here's a list of the fabulous participating Summer Stroll 2012 stores:

Absolutely Everything

Ink About It

New England Scrapbook Company

Papercraft Clubhouse
Right at Home Scrapbooking

The Crop Shop

The Inspiration Station

Wiggles & Giggles

Please check with each store’s website for their summer hours.

For links to all participating stores websites please visit:

http://www.rightathome.typepad.com/summer_stroll_2012/

We look forward to strolling with you this Summer!

Something NEW!

Open Crop Days
Sundays this summer
June 3, 17, & 24
July 1, 8, 22, & 29
August 5, 12, 19, & 26

Bring everything you need to crop/craft in our classroom
Noon - 4pm
$5 registration fee payable at sign up will be applied to your $20 purchase during the crop. So it’s like cropping for FREE!
Please pre-register to reserve your seat.

Long time, no see...

Yes, I have been MIA from the Blog-o-sphere.
Life is just so busy and there is so much time involved in keeping up with all the different media outlets; website, blog, newsletter, Facebook, etc.  I really need to clone myself so I can keep up with everything!

As most of you know, I am in the process of building a new home so that is where the majority of my attention has been for the past two months.  The process is going along quite quickly (now that we have a reliable contractor) and there are decisions that have to be made everyday.  You could say I'm a bit overwhelmed by it all. The plan is to be moved in by Labor Day but really it looks like we may get in earlier.  The bigger issue is selling our current house. This is a very spacious house with a lot of unique features that make it impossible to compare to other properties in the area, so the real estate agents are at a loss of how to price it. It is going to be a great value to the right buyer, but finding that right person could be another story. 
Here's the situation:
The house itself is nothing special; just a 4 bedroom ranch with a finished basement.  However, it sits on 14 acres of land with a 6,000 square foot heated Garage/Barn.  It also has an enclosed in-ground swimming pool just off the master bedroom.  In reality, it should be valued at about $500,000.  The problem is, in this rural town, nothing has sold above $300,000 for several years.  There are two lakes in town and the majority of houses that have sold are lake cottages well under the $200,000 mark.  Bottom line- people who can afford this house are not looking to move into this town.  It's a shame really because it's a great little town.  We need to find someone who has horses or lots of equipment (like a landscaper) who wants to buy the property for the massive barn.  If you know anybody let me know!

In other news:  Next weekend we will welcome Marah Johnson to The Inspiration Station for her first visit.  She will be teaching three classes here on Friday, May 25th.  The ATC class in the morning is almost full but there is room in the Whimsical Drawing and Doodling class and the Altered Niche Book class so call us to sign up.

Loads of new goodies have arrived in the past week too including the Mixaparts necklaces and Simple Stories Summer Fresh line.