They are arriving - they are almost here!!! I am so thrilled to tell you that a partial shipment has landed!!! OK, so it's not all here just yet, but within 7-14 days I am hoping to have ALL of the new dies in my possession to fulfill your orders!!! With this I can promise you that we are SO ready to get your orders out to you and we plan on making good on our promise of having these shipped out to every one of you who has supported us, by ordering through us, as quickly as possible. It is with much excitement and a tad bit of stress that I sit here and await their arrival - LOL!
So with this news I would like to announce a special promotion on the Wizard for the month of September. Many of you already have a diecutting system that you love and I want to once again assure you that it will definitely work just fine with the Nestabilities!!! But for those who are considering investing in the Wizard I wanted to give you the opportunity to do so before the dies arrive and do so at a price that is competitive to other places you can find on the internet. So for this month please enter the promo code: wizwon to purchase the Wizard Embossing and Die Cutting System at a savings of $30 - promotional price will be $99.99. There is no other die cutting system that exerts the same level of pressure provided by the Wizard system. So with that I will warn you that if you do not watch the video or read my directions be aware of plates projecting across the room - LOL! You will also want to know that when the Wizard arrives in your house fresh and new that the first run throughs of your cardstock and dies may be so tight that you will end up with embossing on those first cuts. But with no time that "effect" will pass and you will need to run your projects through the machine twice - first pass to cut, the second pass to emboss. It is just at the beginning when the machine is fresh out of the box will you perhaps get the embossing on those first pass throughs.
Now for some additional exciting news!!! Once again I have the privilege of announcing that we have on order some BRAND NEW Spellbinder products to aid you in your creating. The first is a magnetic plate - yes, you heard me right!!! No slip slidin' away Ü No need for temporary adhesive as shown in my little tutorial as to how I hold the Nestabilities in place to ensure proper placement. Yes, Jeff and Stacey have done it yet again. They solved the little dilemna I placed before them. It has been so amazing working with them. I kid you not when I say that they are solution oriented! They have been a pleasure to work with and so very accomodating. So for $6.99 we will be providing a magnetic plate for you to use to keep your dies exactly where you want them. Being that it is brand spankin' new we hope that there will not be any set backs, but they are working hard to get these out pronto. I am hoping for shipment of these within a week or two!!! This leads me to the next annoucement!
We have been in a dilemna as to what we were going to do. Spellbinders is completely sold out of Wizard Charm Embossing kits and it will be some time before more can be manufactured. Let me tell you - I have learned SO much about the manufacturing process and the hold-ups and change-ups, and.... believe me it is not easy for items to be produced in a timely manner being that so many variables are constantly involved. If you want a quality product you have to constantly be open to change, follow-through, yada, yada, yada. Talk about stress, it is a continual and ongoing thing it appears. So with this dilemna we started brainstorming and I am THRILLED to tell you that we are going to have a new addition to the line-up of products. Put a few braincells together and voila you have a solution. That solution is going to be a special package of Wizard Tan Mats - yep, you heard me - we will be selling tan mats only. They will come as a 2-pack and be the same size as those that are provided with the machine when purchased or as seen in the Wizard Charm Embossing Kit. These will also be priced at $6.99 for two!
As soon as I have the pics and all details I will be uploading them to my webstore for your shopping pleasure. We are trying so hard to work towards total customer satisfaction. We have SO VERY MUCH appreciated your patience with the delays that have occured and rest assured we will work so hard to continue to provide you with the best products we possibly can.
Last, but certainly NOT LEAST I am finally going to share with those of you who preordered the Nestabilities through us what surprises we have in store for you. Preorders placed before September 1st will include the following "Thank You for your patience gift". Orders valued between:
- $24.99 to $79.99 will receive 1 free Mystery die - there are loads of styles and they are sent to us randomly, therefore we will just pull one out of the bin and be including it with your order.
- $80 to $159.99 will receive 1 free size S3 die of my choice - again this will be totally random, but the selection I have purchased includes:
SYMBOLOGY and
DECORATIVE PHOTO CORNERS
- $160 or more will receive 1 free size S4 die of my choice - so what did I pick? I hope you will enjoy the surprise of an additional set of Nestabilities - the STARS! (Unfortunately I don't even have a picture of these to share at the moment, but I'll see what I can do about that come Monday Ü)
Now just a little bit of food for thought to help get you organized for the arrival of your dies. Storage - the big "S" word Ü Well in this case it's the little "s" word - LOL! I want to share my solution with you in hopes that it might be beneficial for any of you trying to think in terms of how you will store your new dies.
My DH went out and purchased me a CaseLogic Double CD holder. Then Malena pulled out my Xyron machine and using the laminate/magnet cartridge we adhered the magnet to an 8 1/2" x 8 3/4" sheet of cardstock. We then cut this sheet in to four equal pieces so that the final size of 4 1/4" x 4 3/8" is a wonderful fit for each pocket in the CD case.
Voila - no more dies tumbling around or waiting to get lost. I'm guessing I could have gone lighter on the magnetic pieces, but I just love a unified look and this did the trick for me. I hope this helps some of you who may be in a dilemna as to how you will plan on storing these. I now can store hundreds of dies in one little case!!! TOO COOL!
It has been an incredibly hectic few days. With the month end comes many bookkeeping tasks, planning for the new Stamp of the Month Packets, and much, much more. I hope to continue my series of COPIC articles and intersperse more Nestability education in here as well over the next few weeks. Thank you again for your patience and support - it is so very much appreciated!
To celebrate and show our appreciation we will once again offer some amazing blog candy!!! This time round all you need to do is leave me with some words of wisdom of your choosing. Leave me a saying, or your favorite quote or your best advice - let's make this easy. I am going to once again use the random number generator to select our winner. This random drawing will occur for all those who participate before midnight, Wednesday, September 5th.
Do you want to know what I'm giving away? Naaah - you don't want to know, do you? OK, OK - I'll give it up! Once again you will be charmed I'm sure if you have the good fortune to win the complete CARGO Alphabet and Number set! OK, so perhaps charmed isn't the best word, but ribbon slide just didn't fit in to that sentence. I am only guessing here being that I don't own this alphabet, but that guess is that these little 1/2" tall cuties make THE perfect ribbon slides - so how charming can that be - LOL!
So leave your words of wisdom for me - I can always use some sage advice :D
My mama always taught me that "Where there's a will, there's a way". It has helped me many times to get through a difficulty and I have found it to be very true. Love your blog. Thanks for all the great tips and info.
Posted by: Tracy | September 03, 2007 at 08:00 AM
I learned like 4-5 bits of wisdom reading your blog today I love the storage for the dies, cant wait until my Birthday to order some.
SO, I guess my bit of wisdom for today would be. "Patience is a Virtue"... Have a great memorail day
Posted by: K Ostvig | September 03, 2007 at 07:49 AM
Here is my favorite saying from my brother which I find rings true.."Don't mistake my kindness for a weakness." Thank you for working so hard in trying to bring us the best products on the market AND showing us how to use them!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Michaelann | September 03, 2007 at 07:41 AM
I love your blog and your store. Your cards are absolutely beautiful. I want the copics....
My youth leader as a teenager taught me this and I love it. "It is never right to do wrong to do right."
thanks, Ellen
Posted by: Kristyn | September 03, 2007 at 07:32 AM
Thanks for the update on your cool new tools. Maybe in October I can get them. My words of wisdom are from an e-mail too long to put here, but I'll see if I can shrink it down a bit. Three things are placed in boiling water. A carrot, egg and ground coffee beans. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its insides became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. My wrap up to this: Be like the coffee beans!
You have managed to do that, Ellen! You inspire me!
Posted by: kathynruss | September 03, 2007 at 07:25 AM
OOH! Awesome candy - always so generous! One of my favourite bits of wisdom is - choose your battles carefully but if it is worth fighting for it is WORTH fighting for. And also - if the only prayer you ever say is "Thank you", that is enough.
Posted by: trish | September 03, 2007 at 06:22 AM
Ellen-Thanks for the great blog! I always love reading all of your wonderful insite. Thanks for the shot at some great blog candy too.
Posted by: Kenna | September 03, 2007 at 06:20 AM
Ellen, love your blog and site. Thank you. My quote is from my father who always says this to us when we just can't understand why someone would do or say something: "People will be people. Thanks
Posted by: Julie Hughes | September 03, 2007 at 04:50 AM
Aloha Ellen,
"The secret to having it all is believing that you already have."
Love your blog...
And I love my Copic!!
....love, peace & happiness
Adoree
Posted by: Adoree | September 03, 2007 at 01:13 AM
Life is not measured by the number of breathes we take, it's measured by the number of moments that take our breath away. Thank you for offering such incredible blog candy.
Posted by: Darryla | September 02, 2007 at 10:35 PM
One of my favorites is "Friends are the Umbrellas in the Storms of Life". I love your idea of the magnetic plates for the dies.
Posted by: Melissa Roth | September 02, 2007 at 10:32 PM
Hi Ellen,
Thank you for always being so informative on your blog!
A favorite quote of mine is:
Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." M. Radbacher
Thank you!
Lisa
Posted by: Lisa Silver (silvergirl) | September 02, 2007 at 09:27 PM
I have received my copic markers and sparkling markers, can we say "love them"....also, pretty excited about the prizes for the pre-orders on then nestabilities, you are so kind.
The thing my husband and I tried to instill in our 4 children while they were growing up was "WWJD", what would Jesus do? To this day they all remember it, and it blesses my heart to know that it has become a quote they will pass on to their children (of course we pray the Lord will bless us someday with grandchildren, non yet and my oldest will be 30 on October 5th).
Love your blog, your are the bomb!
Posted by: Gloria S. Plunkett - Covington, GA | September 02, 2007 at 08:31 PM
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. Dr Seuss
We love you Ellen!
Posted by: sharon in ne | September 02, 2007 at 07:10 PM
Hi Ellen!
Thanks for the update - can't wait to get my dies! Should be a lot of fun. As for words of wisdom. Hmmm. Always found this comforting:
"I am with you always - even unto the end of the world" Matthew 28:20
Posted by: Cathrine | September 02, 2007 at 06:38 PM
I can't believe the free dies are the stars!!! I almost fell out of my chair when I read that. I have been waiting all summer for the update of when the stars were going to be released and here I find out I'm getting them free!!! What a nice surprise. :) I feel like I already won something. Not to mention the great deal you are offering on the Wizard this month. You are so twisting my arm. LOL
My quote: Patience is the ability to count down before you blast off.
Posted by: Jen | September 02, 2007 at 06:34 PM
Ellen - waiting for my order has not been a problem as time has been short lately. One of my favorite poems is Desiderata and one line in particular always calms me when I am stressed: Go placidly amidst the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence.
Jazzi
Posted by: Jazzi Brunelle | September 02, 2007 at 05:47 PM
My new favorite advice:
I will do today what others won't do, so tomorrow I can do what others can't.
Love the blog candy! Thx!
Posted by: Kellie | September 02, 2007 at 05:27 PM
My favorite quote in high school I can't seem to remember now- the gist of it was
If you have built your castle in the clouds, do not worry, that is where it should be- now build foundations under it.
Posted by: Jessi | September 02, 2007 at 05:00 PM
Thanks for the heads up on the Nestabilities...I'm still thinking on that one. I just purchased a Spellbinder last Thursday & haven't really had a chance to play with it. Unfortunately, the store didn't have any dies that thrilled me so I'm off to your store to check things out. Thanks for the chance to win an awesome blog prize.
Posted by: doverdi | September 02, 2007 at 04:50 PM
I love your website and all the great info you provide. Thanks!
"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." e. e. cummings
Posted by: debs | September 02, 2007 at 04:34 PM
Even though they haven't come in yet I am still kickin myself for not ordering SN. Maybe I can win the candy instead. I love this saying one:
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap ... but by the seeds you plant!"
-- Robert Louis Stevenson
AngieW
Posted by: Angie Warren | September 02, 2007 at 04:30 PM
Hi Ellen! Great blog prize! This may be simple, but mine is "don't sweat the small stuff". I've learned over the years that there are alot of things going on worse that what I am experiencing.
Posted by: Debbie Fisher | September 02, 2007 at 04:12 PM
Hi Ellen! Great blog prize! This may be simple, but mine is "don't sweat the small stuff". I've learned over the years that there are alot of things going on worse that what I am experiencing.
Posted by: Debbie Fisher | September 02, 2007 at 04:05 PM
This is from Kitty Bartholomew: "It's not what you don't have, it's what you do with what you do have." This is so true for so many areas of your life. Thanks Ellen for all you do for others. It is appreciated.
Posted by: Trish Grisham | September 02, 2007 at 03:55 PM