living dreams

where can I find it??!

Yesterday and today have been the kind of day that makes me giddy as I get flooded with emails and phonecalls about where people can find our products. Giddy because I am frantically trying to find stores to refer them to, that carry the line that are not sold out of whatever stamp or paper people are trying to find.

Giddy because I am shipping out reorders as fast as I can.

Giddy because stores are telling me our stamps are often sold out within minutes of reaching the store and that they need reorders...stat! I just got off the phone with Monique at Scrap Etc. She just had an event with Elsie and a whole bunch of supertalented scrap celebs, and our stamps arrived and were gone before she even knew it. She said she didn't even get to see the stamps. How crazy is that!

Giddy because people are using the stamps and posting on the web, and then other people ask where they can get it. It is all so mind blowing that I have to take a few minutes just to absorb it. We have been approached by quite a few distributors especially in the US and S.Africa and I think it's time to take the leap, eh? Get our stuff out there so you can find it easier?

In the meantime, in answer to the emails about this stamp, we created it over a year and a half ago for Valerie Barton's classes at a Nashville Convention. It's sort of been hiding on a shelf and we had just decided to launch it at CHA-S and I decided to send it to Donna. So your local stores should have it this summer. If you desperately want it/need it please send me a note at [email protected] and I will see if we can get some out to you. :)

Giddy, I said - feels like giddy-up!

3 years ago today

at this very moment, I had a son. A natural birth, no less. I had an inkling that he would be a boy - and what a blessing he has been ever since. I have been thinking over the last few months how I am loving being a boy's mama. And what a sweet boy he is. A rough and tumble yet sweet and cuddly little kid. I can't believe he is three today. I stayed up tonight to welcome in his third birthday, to reminisce what I was doing exactly at this time, a little past 3am, 3 years ago. And to think of how much I am blessed because of the son that I have. Happy birthday, Cameron. I love you!

A special place in my heart for Robots

It's a movie I have seen what seems like a gazillion times. Usually it's with my kids but I won't lie, I have had it on during the late, late nights to keep me company. It's a good movie for adults and kids, and we all have our favourite parts, and we always say to each other "oh, here's your favourite part" when it comes to the segment. My kids talk about the movie and the characters all the time, and can sit through the whole movie together on the couch, which is a huge blessing for me.

Today, about halfway through the movie, Cameron turns to me from the couch as I am sitting at the computer, and says "I'll make you proud, Mom." (which is a line from very early on in the movie) and before I can say anything, he says,"Mom, say,"I know you will, son. I know you will."" LOL!

We've talked about the story of Robots before, especially about how we can shine no matter what we are. About upgrades and how they are not necessarily better than repairs. How friends are important, and how we should find something that we love and do it. And we talk about little things too, such as how we love how Cameron says "copperbottom" - usually it comes out sounding like "copyboddom," and how the kids make me mimic Rachet's mom "I know you don't like anyone to see me here." Yes, I can make my kids squeal in laughter over this one. There's so many moral and ethical lessons in this movie that it makes my head spin. It's quite the inspirational movie. Lessons like how one little robot can beat the status quo, how we should "see a need, fill a need," how fun and quirky people make the best types of friends, and how cool it is to have family who believes in you from the very beginning. Cheesy yes, but hey, if it gets these life lessons into my kids heads (and mine), then it can't be all that bad, eh?

And now I have an overwhelming urge to be like Karen Burniston and have a Quote of the Day (QOTD) from the movie. But I won't. Because it will make me want to watch the movie over and over again. Which really, my kids won't mind a bit.

Oops!

Meant to post this a couple days earlier but forgot to - Laura T, you are the winner of our "Birthday Laura" post - congrats! Send me your address and we'll get something out to you!

grateful for a chunk of time

since I am still working at the full time job and running FontWerks at the same time, every single second counts. I cannot tell you how many lists I make everyday, accounting for every minute, trying to cram everything that needs to be done into every available minute. It is one of the things that I am looking forward to giving up once we move on to the next phase of FontWerks.

But for the next 10 days, I am free to concentrate on family and FontWerks. 10. Ten. It is such a luxury. And yes, I am cramming every single errand I have in the next month, into these 10 days. Here's a list of what's goin' down in the next few days:

- get together at Carolyn's with a few scrap friends

- baby shower

- Cameron's third birthday party at daycare and at home

- 2 baseball games

- house tours

- completion of products for CHA-S

- catalog creation

- filling of orders

- working on newsletter

- gardening

- projects featuring FW for 2 magazines to be completed and sent away

And I think I will add in some time to read a book, watch some tv and scrap a little, even. I think this is going to be a busy yet relaxing 10 days. Because it gives me time to do what I want to get done, what needs to get done, what has to get done.

Here's to the next 10 days!

i have a beef

And hoping no Texan cowboys come after me.

I had several different conversations with a few manufacturers today, and we got around to talking about design and our processes of coming up with ideas, and such. Interesting enough, there were two company names that came up when it came to naming companies who seem to get most of their inspiration from other companies. I know it is one thing to be "inspired" but it is quite another to mirror a collection. And we know there are companies that are doing this. Taking a big chunk of another company's collection and turning it into their own. And saying they changed it slightly so it is ok. They have even acknowledged, when pressed, that they did "borrow" the designs and went from there. Changed a thing or two. Sometimes it was just the size that they changed. Or the color of the label. And they turned around and called it theirs. I don't know about you, but when I hear about things like this it gets me all steamed up. C'mon people. Get your own creative people. And get them creating their own creative designs. And if the best they can do is steal other people's designs then you need to get new people. It is a lot of work to come up with a design or an interpretation of a design, and to have it taken and sold under a different banner, well, let me tell you, that just plain sucks. With the two companies I am speaking of, I believe they have "taken" two of our designs. And yes, I know no one can patent shapes and things like that, but they are just too obvious. One or two similiar designs or ideas I can accept. But when their names come up within different groups of manufacturers, with each manufacturer saying they have been victims of this "flattery" (you know, as imitation is the best form of flattery?) it just becomes too obvious and too non-coincidental. The timing is just too convenient. So these two companies will never get a cent from me. I have lost respect for them. I will not buy anything from them. It even bugs me that I am giving blog space to them. I guess this especially stings around this time as we prepare to launch our next designs. We wonder which ones will show up elsewhere. We already know of a couple designs from our last show that is showing up in new collections. And I guess tonight I am just allowing myself to have a cow.

test the waters

so here we go on our journey that we have planned and longed for and prayed for for quite some time now. We listed our property today and it finally feels real. We are going for it. Selling the "old," purchasing the "new." And giving shape to dreams that are to come. There is so much wrapped up in this little step, for with each development comes the opportunity for yet another piece of the puzzle to unravel and fall into place. It is so exciting, so scary, so real. I can't hardly believe it. It makes my heart squeeze so hard I can hardly breathe. I can see and feel my dreams. It is so close. I can almost cry.

on my way back...

so i've been away from blogland for a little while - and have gotten more than a few emails asking/demanding for an update.  Yeah, I'm talkin' about you, Tracy. I will be back, just have so much to take care of on the business side, as well as on the home front. We are house hunting and preparing to take FW to the next level, so in between the jobs, the househunting, family life and everything else, the blog and scrapping have taken a back seat for a couple weeks. But you know what's funny? I've found myself dashing into local scrapbook stores and buying stuff. Yes, they don't make it further than being set on my table at home, but it feels good to shop again, kwim? I am enjoying that part very much; new product gets my creative juices going!

I will be back hopefully by next week with tons of updates and photos. I neglected to come on here to wish Laura a happy birthday on the 22nd (my internet was down for most of the day) - so to make up for that, the first Laura (beside Laura the Charmer aka fo shizzle) to post here will win some stuff from me. I will be checking id's!! :) Happy day to you, Laura. We love you.

And just so you are forewarned, all you Grace's out there - I'll be running a same RAK on June 1 for G's special day. Bring your id's!

Happy NSD!!

For all us scrapbookers, today is a sacred day. It is National Scrapbooking Day. A day where all our local scrapbook stores and favourite online stores have sales, events, classes, chats and so on. A day to celebrate this wonderful hobby/art that we call scrapbooking.

I will be teaching at a local store, and she will be hosting a few challenges/classes at www.twopeasinabucket.com, and you can join in a chat with her, her, and her at www.lifetimemoments at 9pm EST. Join in the fun!

I have had so many emails about "where can I find your products? Especially the new acrylic stamps (the stitches and george outline in particular) - well, I did a quick run through of a few stores off the top of my head, and I see some are still available at www.scraphappykt.com, www.lifetimemoments.com and www.downmemorylaneco.com. If you type in FontWerks under search you will be directed to the right pages. Hope you find what you're looking for!

Our newsletter will be out today as well - hope you enjoy!

Happy National Scrapbooking Day, everyone! (let's make this a daily holiday, why don't we? ;P )