IN STANDARD POST-SHOW-DAYS...

catch-up post!

Chicago was awesome.  Totally, totally awesome!

I'm sure you're asking yourselves - just what makes a show "awesome"?  Well, let me run it down for you...

AWESOME WEATHER when we walk off the plane.  When I'm leaving 109 degree weather, it doesn't take much of a change to make me smile.  But the weather in Chicago Wednesday night was beautiful.

FUN ADVENTURES decided on the spur of the moment.  While Justin and I waited for our luggage - we realized that it was only 6:30pm and that we were starving.  Being so close to downtown Chicago - why not just go for some Chicago pizza!  So we did!


Gino's East is now Scrap-Mart's official pizza stop for all future Chicago Expos. It was divine!

GREAT HELP in the booth, provided by our own Crafty Deb and her lovely daughter Amy. They both got to experience 3 days of Justin, and for some reason they both just kept shaking their head with a somewhat sympathetic smile for me. Too funny!


I even sweet talked Amy into doing my QK inventory for me - SCORE! Thanks Amy...you're a rock star in my book!

GREAT CLASSES in the form of all four of my official QuicKutz classes. I love teaching the classes that QK puts together for all of the shows. And when the classes are full of pumped up ladies from all over the country - I get extra excited. It was extra special because we had so many "die cutting virgins" in class.  This was their first hands-on experience with the Revolution. Needless to say - most of them followed me to the booth and scooped up new machines to take home. I love it when that happens.  Spreadin' the love ladies - that's what I'm here for! Thanks to all of my students - to all of my prize winners and to everyone who made special comments on their evaluation cards. Love you crazy, Chicago-area scrappers!

GREAT TRAFFIC  in the booth. It's a good thing Justin can run the register all day long without a potty break - because that's about what he did for two solid days. Love the traffic, love the questions, love it when people "get it" and realize that the Revolution is the tool for them. Love it when they realize that Bosskut dies work in their machine. Love it when they realize Cuttlebug dies work in their machine. Love it when we demo the Spellbinders dies in the machine and they "get it". It's so fun. Who needs to eat lunch when there is so much excitement going on in the Scrap-Mart booth. Eating is highly overrated anyway!

GREAT NEW RELEASE from QuicKutz...that I'm here to show you right now! Feast your eyes on the following...(big thanks to Deb, for making these awesome "quarter-size-reference cuts")


all of the NEW SEPTEMBER 2x2s (click on the images for a close-up view!). QuicKutz did an entire kitchen/cooking theme this month and WOW - are these going to be great for Christmas cookbooks, holiday recipe exchanges, and holiday baking scrapbook pages! I am in LOVE with this release! Hmmmmm - cookbook pages - sounds like a Scrap-Mart LIVE! make-n-take doesn't it?

And for the 4x4s...




how totally appropriate that we just stuffed ourselves with Chicago pizza last week! The pizza die-cut is amazing!


And it fits on the plate - which looks soooooo adorable! And new clothes for the paper doll! Woo-hoo - this release just gets better and better!

For the Cookie Cutter set...


nesting recipe cards which I totally think is the must-have die of the bunch. Because the recipe card is awesome and tiny, perfect to add to scrapbook pages, but also great for add ins to chipboard albums. And that little tab - PERFECT to cut out to add to photos and journaling blocks!! It's incredible! The possibilities are endless!

The exclusive ClubQK die for this month...


is one BIG recipe card! So for those recipes that you add to a plate of cookies at Christmas time...THIS IS IT! Or those little jars, full of ingredients, to give to neighbors and teachers...THIS IS PERFECT! Whoopie!

Did I mention that I LOVE this release?

Well, even if I did...I LOVE IT!

Samples, ideas, videos and demos coming soon. I promise! Plus I need to refilm the video from get-away day last week. Because it was cute. And you know...cute matters!

So that sums up our amazing trip to the Chicago area. Scrap-Mart loves the Illinois ladies. Justin and I love the Illinois ladies. (The only thing Justin and I don't love...leaving the hotel at 3:15 am to catch flights out of O'Hare. YUCK!)

Final word for the day - today the Scrap-Mart site is making a migration to a new server. Which means a new and better check out system, a new and better interface, and new and better features. It's going to be great! It's just going to mean you need a bit of patience today. Breath deeply - and know that it will all be worth it in the end.

The plans we have for Scrap-Mart in the next few months...BREATHTAKING!  Things that will only be available here at Scrap-Mart.

We appreciate your business. We appreciate your kindness. We appreciate your patience today. We appreciate your loyalty. Scrap-Mart customers are the best customers around! And we know it!

PEACE!

- - - Susan