After The Round-Up

The 2009 Houston Area Scrapbook Round-up was a GREAT success! We had a great time seeing old friends and welcoming new ones! In spite of the bleak news reports about the economy, we had nearly exactly the same amount of sales this year as last year! Just shows that we are one of those "recession-proof" businesses - scrapbooking is therapy, not merchandise!

Still lots of new merchandise coming in from CHA. We finally received the German Gold Foil paper and Dresden victoriana embellishments! They are going fast, so come in soon! Graduation is right around the corner, and we have lots of new graduation paper and embellishments! We are also working on our Graduation Pizza and a 6-Pack, so keep an eye on the newsletter for that date. Come in to see the new garden fairy version of the dress form from Creative Imaginations!

Our buddy Mark at Dead Beat Designs has come up with some wonderful new ideas for explosion boxes...watch for a class soon! We are going to be doing our own version of a Bluebonnet Festival in April with make-n-takes, classes, and other fun stuff.

Also in the works is a class for all you party planners...boxes, cards, and invitations in various themes - look for graduation, birthday, wedding, and others!

It's ROUND-UP TIME!

Yee-haw! Tomorrow marks the start of the second annual Houston Area Scrapbook Round-up! All the area stores will have make-n-takes, take-n-makes, and other fun stuff! But the best ones will be at Novel Approach, of course! We can't wait to see everyone! I was assured by our American Craft rep this week that they are providing a GREAT grand prize for the Round-up! By the way, we won't be accepting competitors' coupons during the Round-up.

We have been typing as fast as our fingers will let us, putting in all the new merchandise as it comes in! Look for the latest from Die Cuts With a View, K&Co (Que Sera Sera line - beautiful!), Bo-Bunny, Unity Stamps, Prima, Jenny Bowlin, My Favorite Things, Sassafrass Lass....and so many more boxes to open this afternoon!!

Plans are getting underway for our visit from Melodee Langworthy in May. We are teaming up with Scrapbook Junkie for a fun weekend with this great designer!

Thanks to all who attended our belated ScrapPink crop on Valentines' Day! We sent a check for $200.00 to the Susan G. Komen foundation from the crop!

That's all I'm going to write today, because there is a pile of boxes calling my name! See you all soon!

OK, OK, we'll blog more!

It has come to my attention that we don't blog often enough. What, once a month isn't enough for you people? OK, here we go! The new CHA things are starting to roll in now! Basic Grey Marrakech is gorgeous! One of my all-time favorite companies, Graphic 45, has two incredible new lines - Communique and Fashionista. We got the invoice in the mail for Inkadinkadoo, so that should be here any day, and they had some great new stamps! A new stamp line, Hanna's Stamps, has arrived - with a cute paperdoll stamp! Moxxie has some cute new "everyday" paper - themes like potty training, martial arts, skateboarding, baby dolls...
We have all the new colors of Tattered Angels - wow. And come check out the Copic markers, along with some great idea books for using them!

We have expanded our "green" initiative - in addition to getting an eco-discount when you use our canvas bags, we have started donating 10 cents each time a customer chooses not to take a plastic bag (not counting using the canvas bag). Each month, the donations will be given to a different teacher for supplies for her classroom. This month, our "teacher of the month" is Theresa Kinzy, a special education teacher at Don Jeter Elementary in Alvin. Teachers are some of the unsung heroes of our community, and spend a lot of their own money to equip their students - this is our small way of saying "thank you"! Also, watch for green leaves throughout our store highlighting eco-friendly product lines and practices.

We are gearing up for the Houston Area Scrapbook Roundup, which begins Friday, February 27, and continues through Sunday, March 8. Bags and Passports are available to be picked up NOW! There are still a few left, so let your friends know it is not too late to sign up!

We have some great classes coming up in March and April - spring cardmaking on Saturday, March 21, spring paperbag book on Saturday, April 4, and March Breakfast Club on March 14 (the Great outdoors). Keep an eye on our website http://www.novelapproachonline.com
for more classes as we schedule them!

I promise to be better about updating the blog! Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

CHA Day 3!!

Hello from Sunny (yes, it was sunny today) California!  It was a very long day, but saw lots of great things.  For those of you who have requested the "German gold paper" - it is on its way!  Found some fun new stamp lines - Hanna Stamps is my fave.  Ordered great stuff from Basic Grey (Look for lots of Marakesh and Lime Rickie), Fancy Pants, Moxxie, EK and K&Co (WOW - the new Jolee's are amazing), Inkadinkadoo, Imaginisce, Webster's Pages, May Arts, .....

Still working on lots of orders!  Look for some really fun techniques with Copic Markers on fabric and paper, new products for encaustic art, great new idea books, Animal Spirit Stamps, a wonderful line that we have had but now has a new look - Unity Stamps, and an amazing new cutter....well, you will have to wait for that, but you will be blown away.  We are also bringing in a new service for our favorite customers (that is all of YOU).  Your only clue is...we had to upgrade our computer memory to get ready for it!  My feet hurt and I'm ready for bed!  More tomorrow night!  

Oh, I was "This CLOSE" to Tim today - but didn't want to interrupt his demo (and his entourage).  Also got to see Jane Seymour (up close and almost personal) doing some painting.

Talk to you tomorrow!

Melissa

CHA Day 2

WOW!  If I see another cute jungle animal or woodland creature, I may scream.  But they are all (and that is a bunch!) adorable.   Today I ordered, and ordered, and ordered.  There are some wonderful things from Anna Griffin (with whom I had a lovely conversation in the ladies' room), KI Memories (um, cute jungle animals), Die Cuts with a View(cute jungle animals), Colorbok (yes, more cute jungle animals), Sassafras Lass (unbelievably cute), Sandylion, Impression Obsession  , PRIMA - WOW - wait till you see the glitter borders and the bonnet blossoms!!!, OH, Stamping Station- NEW SPORTS paper and stickers - really great, and they also have some special new patriotic paper honoring President Obama.  And some amazing camera bags and totes from MIMI for which part of the proceeds benefit an environmental cause 

(in guess what - jungle print!).

This isn't even the tip of the iceberg, but I'm brain-dead and can't think of everything.  I hit the floor at 7:30am tomorrow!  I'll try to take better notes so I can be more specific tomorrow night!  And, dare I say, there will probably be still more jungle animals to report.

Blessings,

Melissa

NEWS FROM CHA DAY 1

Hello to everyone from sunny....oh, no that's not right.  It is rainy, cold and overcast here in Orange County.  The convention center is frigid, but the new lines are HOT!  Yesterday (Saturday) was a day for classes, seminars, and "welcome parties".  I got some tips for "greening" our business - and plan to implement many of them in the near future!  Learned about some fantastic new techniques from Golden Art - how to make acrylic skins with different colors and textures that can actually be run through an inkjet printer!  Photos, images, whatever printed on all these different skins - it's a mixed-media/altered art treasure trove!   Definitely some classes coming up with those!  I also got to experience the new STAR WARS line from Creative Imaginations - as well as lots of other great stuff!  Cute new Disney Princess, adoption, beach, music, ....so many lines!  And SEI has a gorgeous new line called Mimosa.  SO pretty.  Great travel papers, too.

This morning I will hit the floor running, and will have lots more to report tonight!

Melissa

Inventory is complete!

We survived our inventory with only one major malfunction... I think that is pretty darn good. We are now ready to get back to "normal," whatever that may be. Don't forget that January is the month to redeem the Holly Dollars that you received in December.

Also, CHA is right around the corner and we are starting to see previews of new products :) This is just as exciting as Christmas morning (only it lasts a lot longer)!

We will resume our regular store hours beginning tomorrow morning at 9:30am. We hope to see you soon.