I suspected that the masses would request step-by-step instructions for the "flowers" Lou Ann Ewing was making at the demo table in Greenville last weekend. So I took pictures Sunday before the show started, and she sent me the instructions when I got home. And I have...

I am spending the weekend at the "Karen Ihle Lovefest" in Greenville, South Carolina. So many people came up to me yesterday asking how Karen was doing -- I talked with her last night and passed along the good wishes. Karen is doing fine, and continues to be...

I have been home for the past six weeks, which is a bit unusual for me during "show season". Usually, my family is ready for me to get out of town by now, but it has been nice -- got a lot of yardwork done, rebuilt the index on our website, and began my 30th season in...

Karen called me this morning. She got home from the hospital late yesterday afternoon. Her lifestyle is usually as hectic as mine, so she's already worried about getting antsy since the doctor ordered her to stay away from work until the 16th. But she is feeling...

Leslie Rogers brought her dog, Angel, to the Make It & Take It in our store this morning. To say that Angel is a much more feminine canine than my Zoe is a massive understatement. Zoe doesn't have a dainty bone in her body -- she was in our yard last week and a...

Most of you know by now that my writing style is usually light and upbeat (some might even call it corny). But not today . . .Many of you know Karen Ihle -- if you're local you've seen her in the store and if not you've seen her in the booth at shows. You may not know...

Today is my mom's 70th birthday. My birthdays have never bothered me a bit, but Mom's milestones give me pause. I have always enjoyed having young parents -- Mom was only 19 when I was born. When she turned 40, I was a senior in college -- I mentioned it to my...

We travel a lot -- most of you know that. And at every show, we get a handful of people who tell us that they used to live in/near Dayton. The emphasis here is on "used to" -- I usually refer to them as "escapees". But they all make a point of stopping by our store...

The question we are probably asked most often is why there is no shopping cart or search button on our website. I wish there was -- it has been my pet peeve for several years. The short answer is money -- with a catalog our size, it costs thousands of dollars to...

Our store was absolutely rocking during the Summer Stamping Gala that led up to the Cincinnati convention. When customers came to our store last Wednesday, they were greeted by a handwritten directional sign at the front door . . .I guess this is one of those times...