It has been more than ten years since I last dropped off the grid. My laptop goes with me everywhere so I can keep up with e-mail from customers, make changes to the website, and such. To me, it's just part of good customer service.But this weekend will be different....

The annual Spring Spectacular in our retail store in Dayton starts Monday, April 20 and runs through Sunday, April 26. We do this every year, and fill a week full of demos, make it & take its, specials, and fun for all.We also try to bring in several "names" --...

My dog, Zoe, is learning that our store is a pretty fun place to be (actually, she enjoys anyplace where she can make friends and get attention). She was at the Make It & Take It again last week, and as usual it wasn't long before the dog lovers took a break from...

This was the Make It & Take it project in our store last Wednesday. You can tell from the stamps that it had an Easter theme, but it could be easily adapted to make a nice Spring card. This is where you're headed . . .And this is most of what you'll need to get...

Forgot to include one photo I took during setup last Friday. If we are at the back of the convention hall (which often happens considering the size of our booth and the proximity of the loading dock), we store the crates and boxes behind the booth. It's a little like...

For years, customers at shows have said "I wish I could see how you put this booth together." So Friday, I took pictures all day long. Here they come, along with time stamps and a little bit of commentary . . .10:35 a.m. -- This is our booth space, chalk marks on the...

When we travel to shows, I like to look for something special to do during the "down" time (which usually amounts to three or four hours during the four days we're on the road). For me, that often involves ballparks -- I have always been a baseball guy. Last year, I...

Greetings from rainy Allentown, Pennsylvania. The truck and I got here last night, and we'll start setup for this weekend's show in about an hour. I'm still not up to full speed (those who have had this bug before say it lasts about a week, but it takes up to two more...

I knew it was going to be a long weekend when my chest started tightening up on Saturday afternoon. Yep, I've got a bug -- throat and voice went South yesterday. Hopefully, the antibiotics will kick in soon. Anyone who calls here today is getting the gravelly Barry...

Here's a quick and easy card from the Make It & Take It in our store on Wednesday, March 25. Thanks to Charlene Driggs for suggesting that I show the completed project before the tutorial so you can see how the steps fit together. So here goes . . . Jackie Schmidt...