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.

A fun and fabulous weekend

This past weekend was a blur of activity, but we also had a ton of fun.

On Saturday, we had the always entertaining, Ken Oliver from Unibind in to teach his Steampunk style mini book.  I have heard nothing but rave reviews of his class and everyone left smiling. On Sunday, he came back bright and early to help us set up for the bus tour. He was so sweet and even helped the girls carry tables out to the back lot to set up for lunch.  I bet he didn't know we were going to put him to work! At the end of the day he was even breaking down boxes and taking out the trash.  I can't even get my husband to do that! 

The Bus Tour was a great success once again.  This time, all of our mishaps occurred prior to the day of the trip, so we were in pretty good shape.  No snow, no plumbing issues, no stuck or broken down buses; just a minor glitch with a receipt printer-which seems to happen on a regular basis.  The refrigerator died on Thursday night but we were able to get someone in to fix it immediately so no harm done.

Our favorite bus Driver, Phil, came back again this year- I think he likes us as much as we like him.  The ladies even got him to do a couple of make & takes at the other stores!  He's such a good guy; we ask for him every year.



So what's next on the agenda?  Well... On Friday, May 25th Marah Johnson from Creative Imaginations and Luminarte is coming in to teach THREE classes at The Inspiration Station!  In June, we have the amazing, Suzanne Dean, returning to share her Copic magic.  To register for Suzanne's classes please visit her website at www.cmcroad.com- These classes fill quickly so don't wait!

Here is the class info:
June 9th & 10th

Stafford Springs, CT

at 
Inspiration Station

13 Furnace Ave.
Stafford Springs, CT 06076
(860) 684-2641

 

Saturday Classes:
Beg/Intermediate Class starts at 9 am - 2:30 pm $90
Advanced Class starts 3:10 pm - 6:50 pm $80


Sunday Class:

All About Hair (3 hours) starts at 10 am - 1:15 pm $60
(covering all kinds of hair styles & colors)
**if Beg Class fills up may add 2nd class to Sunday**

New Low Everyday Prices on Sizzix

New Lower Pricing
We have been working with Sizzix to get a better deal on their popular machines and are now pleased to announce new lower everyday prices on the Sizzix Big Shot and Vagabond machines!  Effective immediately the  Big Shot will now sell for $69.99 and the Vagabond for $199.99.  These are super low prices so no other discounts or sales apply. If you've been on the fence about either of these machines, now is a great time to grab them. Don't worry if they sell out; we'll order more!

A little March Madness

The month of March has flown by at supersonic speed; I have not had a chance to catch my breath.  I really think I need a few more days in each week because I just can't seem to get everything done that I want to.
Things are only going to get more hectic from here on out since my husband and I signed a contract with a builder to get started on our new house!  Thankfully, I have great staff at the store who can pretty much run the show when I am not around.


It's hard to believe that the 2012 Bus Tour is only 2 weeks away! I have been so busy planning guest instructors, taking classes, planning classes, updating inventory, trying to keep up with posting new product, and on and on and on; I haven't even had time to think about the bus tour.  Fortunately, I had ordered the page kits weeks ago and they are already here so that's one thing down.  My mom is taking charge of ordering the food for lunch, Donna and Terry are working on name tags and prize baskets so that leaves me with shopping for all of the breakfast and snack foods along with paper goods and such.

This past week we have seen a lot of new merchandise arriving including....Ta Da!!!  The Distress Markers!  We also got in the amazing Dylusions spray inks, however, we have already sold out of several colors.  Reorders have already been placed.  The new 6 x 8 Documented line from Simple Stories has arrived and is also flying out the door.  New stamps from Penny Black arrived today, although I haven't seen them yet.  Two new board programs from Inky Antics and Darcie's came in on Tuesday too so there are plenty of new stamps to choose from.
Special Guests:


I spoke with Ken Oliver this morning to finalize the plans for his visit on April 14th & 15th.  I am so excited to have him back.  Last weekend I also touched based with Marah Johnson from Creative Imaginations who will be visiting us in May.  Suzanne Dean is planning to come back to teach the weekend of June 9th.  Cheryl Mezzetti is going to come back during the summer although we haven't set a firm date yet, it will be shortly after CHA Summer.  (And I am supposed to be building a house during all this??)  Oh, and I almost forgot; my youngest son will be graduating from high school!  So needless to say, folks probably won't be seeing much of me over the next few months.  But don't worry.  You're in good hands with the girls.

Special Events Reminder

Just a quick reminder of our special events this week.
Tomorrow Nathalie from Magenta Rubber Stamps will be here to teach two classes. 

Even if you are not able to come to class, you can still come by between classes to meet Nathalie and see her beautiful artwork.  She will be bringing a "Trunk Show" of stamps with her that will be available for purchase and will also have a catalog available to allow you to special order anything that she does not have on hand. Nathalie is charming woman I think you will enjoy meeting her and learning more about Magenta.

 .  

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

Are you interested in learning more about the Sizzix eClips machine?  Cheri and Jill from Sizzix will be here on Tuesday, March 27th at 11:00am for a FREE demonstration of the eClips, eCal software and the Stamp And Cut Software from Tim Holtz. I've also heard they may be bringing some prizes...

Upcoming steampunk album class

Crazy busy, new products, bus tour etc.

This has been a crazy, busy week here at The Inspiration Station!
Remember all of that stuff I said I bought at the CHA Winter show?  Well, I think all of the vendors decided to send it this week!  We have been getting shipments in everyday loaded with papercraft goodness. I think just about every display in the scrapbook section of the store has been changed out this week and a whole mess of papers have been moved to clearance. *Hint* Today would be a great day to shop!

In addition, we have completely filled our bus for the bus tour and I have been working with Ken Oliver of Unibind to plan for his upcoming visit. He is coming up to demo for the bus tour but will be coming a day early to teach a class. Did you know Ken is also a member of the Spellbinders design team?  Of course, that means he will be using the dies in his class as well.

Ken Oliver coming back to The Inspiration Station

He's coming back! Mr. Ken Oliver will be returning to The Inspiration Station for the weekend of April 14 & 15. Still working out class details but you can expect a class on Saturday and demos all day Sunday during our Bus Tour! If you are not able to attend the bus tour but want to see Ken and his Unibind Photobook Creator in action on Sunday call us and we can tell you when the best time will be to come in (in between the buses).

 

Follow us on Pinterest

The Inspiration Station is now on Pinterest!  You can follow us by clicking the link in the sidebar or by clicking this Link.

I will be pinning ideas I find around the web as well as uploading photos (as time permits) from the past, like photos of The Inspiration Station over the years. Make sure to follow us if you are on Pinterest!

All Aboard....

Last call for our Spring Bus Tour.  As of Sunday morning we had only 5 seats left open on our bus.  We can't wait; it's always such a fun time.  It is a ton of work but it goes by so fast.  It is amazing to me how well we all work together that day moving things along.  After five years of bus tours we all seem to have found our niche and can run the event like clockwork - provided the toilet doesn't back up and the computer doesn't crash...  Anyway, if you have never been, you really need to go.  Donna is the tour guide on the bus and everyone raves about the fun they have.

In other news, we received some absolutely gorgeous new lines from My Mind's Eye yesterday:  Follow your Heart and Miss Caroline. Everything about these lines are beautiful, you are going to love them.  We also got in the This to That Charming line from Echo Park and it is a wonderful line for boys and men, but the shades of teal and brown will work for a lot more too.

















Here is a look a a page I made using the new LYB Saturdays line to show off my cousin's Baby boy.  Isn't he adorable?

Next up is an overdue layout from my daughter's graduation.  Other than the photos all I used on it were a few rhinestones and the new quote stickers from Reminisce that should be arriving soon.  I am so proud that I was able to get NINE photos on one layout and not have it look crowded!

2012 Bus Tour.

The buses for the Scrapbook Bus Tour are filling up fast. Wiggles & Giggles bus is already SOLD OUT and there are a limited number of seats left on ours, Papercraft Clubhouse and New England Scrapbook Co's. This will be the only bus tour this year so don't miss your chance to see what's new at all of the stores and leave the driving to Peter Pan.

Get on board on Sunday, April 15th for an entire day of shopping, learning and fun at the best scrapbooking stores around!  The fun begins at your host store at 8:00am with a delicious breakfast as well as time for a little learning and shopping.  At each store you’ll receive a free gift and discounted shopping while you discover the unique characteristics of the shops. There will be demonstrations and learning opportunities at each store. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are included.

• The Inspiration Station  (860) 684-2641
• Papercraft Clubhouse  (860) 339-4443
• Wiggles & Giggles (Sold Out)
• New England Scrapbook Co. (860) 693-9197

Tickets must be purchased in advance from your host store (this is the store you start at and return to at the end of the day).  The cost for all this fun, food and learning is only $69 per person.  The fee is due at registration and is non-refundable unless we can fill your seat from a wait list

 

Magenta Classes with Nathalie Metivier

Join us as we welcome Nathalie Metivier from Magenta Rubber Stamps to The Inspiration Station for her first visit.  Nathalie has prepared two different classes with fabulous techniques using some of the newest stamps from Magenta.

3 Techniques... Magenta Style

Monday, March 26  10am-1pm

Cost $35

Materials needed:

• Various colors of Adirondack Alcohol Ink

*since some persons need to copy as precisely as possible, the ones used on the tile were: Meadow, Terra Cotta and Wild Plum.
*of course colors can be different and it will be as nice! Dark ones better than light ones.

• Handle and Felt. Blending Solution and craft sheet are convenient too.
• Colored Pencils (ideally the Prismacolor Artist ones - not the Scholar ones which are too dry) -
• Pencil sharpener
• White pigment ink pad (like Frost White ColorBox)
• Few colors waterbased markers (like Tombow or Marvy)
• Small paintbrush and cup of water (or waterbrush)
• Small precise scissors
• Glossy Accents or similar
• Adhesive

Watercolor and more... Magenta Style

Monday, March 26^th    6pm-8pm

$35

Learn two unusual ways to create watercolor effect – without watercolor. Discover one of Magenta’s favorite, the Colored Pencils on black cardstock.

Material needed:

• Colored Pencils (ideally the Prismacolor Artist ones - not the Scholar ones which are too dry)
• Pencil sharpener
• Few colors of Distress ink pads: purple, blue, green, brown tones
• Small paintbrush and cup of water (or waterbrush)
• Craft sheet is always convenient
• Small precise scissors
• Adhesive

Classes must be pre-paid at the time of registration and are not refundable.  Space is limited, so sign up early.

Winter CHA Recap

Donna and I arrived home safe and sound on Tuesday night. We had a great trip with the most beautiful weather, lots of walking and lots of laughs. I still have not unpacked all of the stuff I brought home with me, but I did manage to throw a load of laundry in and start going through all of the samples. I had to leave behind a lot of the catalogs that I would like to have kept, but my luggage was way overweight and I ended up checking a second bag just to get products home.


As usual, Ranger and Sizzix were very generous in what they gave out in classes so we got lots of fun stuff.  We had to miss our class with Donna Downey at Prima's warehouse because the cost to get a shuttle to take us there was unreal; $138 each way!  Had I known, I could have rented a car for the day!  Oh well, that freed up our day on Saturday so we were able to get into Sizzix classes and a Vintaj class.  We also were able to take a couple of mixed media classes that we really enjoyed.


The CHA show itself was much quieter than I expected. It was nowhere near as crazy as the shows we had attended six or seven years ago when people lined up before the doors opened and stampeded for their favorite booths.  There was none of that this year. There were a few lines at the make and takes, but all of the booths had plenty of room to get around and talk to the vendors. I did get to see a few "celebrities" and meet an online friend who owns a store in San Diego.

Me with Mario Rossi and Tammy Tutterow

Simple Stories Year-o-logy

Simple Stories- AwesoME

Glitz

October Afternoon 9-5

Prima

Sizzix Dies

Sizzix Dies & Texture Fades

The best part of the show is always seeing what the designer do with the new product.  There are some amazing artists out there.  The samples we saw ran the gamut from simple and elegant, to cute and whimsical, to fun and funky, to amazing and drop dead gorgeous.  In the Prima booth I honestly spent more time admiring the artwork than looking at any of the products. It was like walking through a museum.

I did manage to spent a great deal of money buying new lines, however. Many lines are shipping in February so we should be seeing them soon and some others are scheduled for March.  We should be fully stocked with goodness for the Bus Tour on April 15th.  By the way, registration for the bus tour begins next Saturday, Feb. 11th at 10am.




Here is a sampling of some of the new lines you will be seeing at The Inspiration Station.


New Penny Black Stamps:

Graphic 45 Little Darlings

Teresa Collins Fabrications

Bo Bunny Weekend Market

MME Miss Caroline

Shrink plastic bunnies

So I fell in love with the new Bunny die from Sizzix that Tim holtz designed and immediately thought, " how cute would that be shrunk down for a charm?" So today I took out my Shrink Plastic, Alcohol Inks and UTEE.

After cutting the bunny out of clear shrink plastic twice, I used the Ranger Alcohol Ink applicator to color them with Espresso ink and Gold Mixative.
 If you plan to use them as charms you have to punch a hole before you shrink them.  One my first one I used a standard 1/4" punch but found the hole to be too big so instead I used a 1/8" punch for these guys.





I used a wooden skewer through the punched hole to keep the piece from blowing away while I heated it with my heat gun.  That part always freaks me out because it twists and turns and folds up on itself. But when it is done it will flatten out more or less.  I used an acrylic stamp block to flatten it completely before it cooled.

Here you can see the difference before and after shrinking it.  The bow was also cut out of shrink plastic.  I used my Copic markers to color it before shrinking since it was such a small piece I didn't feel like getting out more felt for the applicator!  On my finished ones I also used a tiny Hero Arts stamp of stars to stamp with Archival Ink.




I used Glossy Accents to attach bows, but before I did, I decided I liked the shiny side of the bunny (the un-inked side) better so I decided to dip the bunnies into my melting pot with  Clear UTEE.  However, I must confess, I did a very bad thing... After I started heating the UTEE in the pot I got distracted...Can you imagine?  Me?  Distracted?
Anyway, I kinda forgot it was heating so when I got back to it it had started to turn brown.  The color was like a light amber maple syrup so I figured, why waste it.  I dipped the bunnies and they looked awesome! Once they cooled I glued the bows on and attached an Idea-ology Swivel Clasp.  Pretty cute huh?

2012- Celebrating 10 years at The Inspiration Station

Yes. Ten years. Seriously. I have been doing this for ten years.  Who would have thought?  Never, in my wildest dreams, did I think that I would stick with this for ten years when I had the crazy idea to open a store post 9-11.

The store has taken on a life of it's own and is nothing like I envisioned when I started; but that's a good thing! Some of you have been with me for the entire ride and for that I THANK YOU. I am amazed, almost daily, by how things have grown and changed. I was talking to someone the other day trying to explain what the initial concept of The Inspiration Station was. Do you remember?  I was fully immersed in the world of seed beads and peyote stitch jewelry. I was selling my creations at craft fairs and wanted a more permanent place to display them. I wanted to INSPIRE people to make their own beautiful creations. So they could come to the store and purchase my stuff or buy the supplies to make their own.  It was all about inspiring creativity.

Right about now some of you who are newer patrons of the store may be saying "beads? jewelry? What on earth is she talking about?"  Yes, The Inspiration Station began as a bead store. I actually considered having the music in the store be Native American flute music to create atmosphere (can you imagine?). Scrapbooking as an industry was just beginning to take off and I brought a few things in just to have some diversity, read: pay the bills. I knew absolutely NOTHING about rubberstamps and had no plans to go in that direction.

Opening day was a complete shock.  We actually had crowds of people! Of course, I think many of them just came for the free food, but still...  I had a slight panic attack wondering what I had just gotten myself into.  This was going to be my little happy place where people would buy stuff to support my habit and I could sit in the classroom and work on my creative pursuits!  How many people think that is what it's all about? The snowball had started to roll down hill and I had to choose whether to get serious about running a business or a very expensive hobby.

I learned very quickly that I really enjoyed inspiring people and talking to them and seeing their projects. I met some of the greatest people.  My greatest feeling of satisfaction comes when someone walks through the door and their eyes light up with delight, like a kid in a candy store, and they say "Oh my goodness, look at this place!" - Like walking into Disney World.  Ok, so maybe it's not Disney World; but seriously, when someone comes in for the first time who has never been to an independent scrapbook/papercrafts store it is something magical. That is what keeps me going even when the roof leaks, the toilet backs up or I get the bill for the latest oil delivery.

So what I am trying to say in this long and rambling post is THANK YOU. Thank you for feeding my creative spirit. Thank you for supporting this crazy idea for all of these years.  Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for the inspiration I need to continue on this journey.