Archive for the ‘Helpful Hints, Tips, & Tricks’ Category

For Those Times When You Fall Behind

Saturday, April 21st, 2007

We all know that things happen to get in the way of our keeping up with other things … interferences come up, emergencies happen, our bosses or families have the nerve to think something they want is actually more important than our stitching hobby (and we’ll go along because we know the easiest thing to get them off our backs is to just do what they’ve asked us to do), we simply forget (this doesn’t happen often, but when it does … it can be remedied!), or your usually reliable but roving Needlework Reporter here at Independent Needlework News gets sidetracked (ditto the previous parenthetical phrase except it probably happens more often :).

From now on, if you ever miss the weekly listing of new cross stitch releases from Hoffman Distributing,  you’ll know you can get caught up easily by going to their monthly listing of new releases.

When things get in the way for me, I like to sit down with anything from a warm cup of hot chocolate, hot tea, or even a cold glass of wine — the choice depends on what prevented me from attending to my joyful passion in the first place — and treat myself to some time doing nothing but dreaming about what I’d like to stitch. How about you?

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Have You Been There Yet?

Wednesday, April 18th, 2007

One of my favorite events started today: the online Needlework Show. You can browse designs from many designers you may never have heard of, and then place an order for whatever you want through any retail needlework shop listed as participating on the “Retail Shops” portion of their website.

Most vendor pages have a link to their websites, which I recommend checking out to see their other designs and products. You never know what you might have missed previously that you just have to have! I’ve also found that designers are very receptive to being contacted by email during the online Needlework Show. Although they are busy then, most designers really enjoy hearing from us stitchers about what we like about their offerings, and I have yet to contact a designer I encountered through the online Needlework Show who didn’t send me a very nice reply.

Many of the designers are offering door prizes and freebie charts as well, so there are many reasons to check out the online Needlework Show.

This show is an excellent way for us stitchers to influence the needlework industry as a whole. If your local needlework store doesn’t know about the online Needlework Show, please tell them. This is a way they can obtain product without the expenses incurred by travelling to a trade show. Additionally, by giving your local needlework shop a list of the products you see and want from the online Needlework Show, you let them know what you really want. Now your favorite needlework store can identify the types of products which will sell well for them, including things they may not be aware of yet themselves — and obviously, their providing what you want to purchase is what keeps them in business.

The designers/vendors participating in this show, which continues through at least midnight on April 23rd, are:

A Kitty Kats Original, Abby Rose Designs, Always Time to Stitch, Angelic Crafts, Annie Cicatelli Designs, Art-Stitch, Aunt Susie’s House, Barrani Design Studios, Bask Designs, Beardie Designs, Brenda E. Kocher Designs, Brunnerhaus, Butterfly Stitches, Camus International, Carousel Charts, Carriage House Samplings, Cedar Hill Designs, Cherished Stitches, Cindy Valentine Designs, Country Garden Stitchery, Creative Cross Stitch, Cross Eyed Kat, Cross Stitch and More, Cross Stitch Wonders, Dames of the Needle, DebBee’s Designs, Debbie Draper Designs, Designing Dogs, Designs by Lisa, Designs From Pamela, Dessins DHC, Dette Designs, Dinky-Dyes, Dutch Treat Designs, Enchanting Lair, European Crosstitch, Fern Ridge Collection, Follow The Leader Designs, Forever in My Heart, French Needle, Full Circle Designs, Funk & Weber Designs, Gift of Stitching Magazine, Haberdashery Designs & Needlework, Handblessings, Harbour Light Designs, Heart’s Content, Heartfelt Designs, Historic Stitches, Images Stitchery Design, In Good Company, In the Company of Friends, Ink Circles, J. Designs, JAR Designs, JBW Designs, Jeanette Ardern Designs, Kelmscott Designs, Keslyns, KRIF, LGK Crafts and Supplies International, Lilipoints - Sarl LLP, Linen Flowers Designs, Living Stitches, Liz Turner Diehl, Magic Needle, Marilynn & Jackie’s Antiques & Collectibles, Marking Samplar, MarNic Designs, Moonflower Designs, My Big Toe Designs, My Mark, Naald en Draad, Needle & Frame, Needle Arts Mystery Retreat, Needle’s Notion, Needleboxes Etc./Charted Imagery, Needlework Designs By CJ, NeedleXpress, Needlizations, Night Owl Needlepoint, Northern Pine Designs, Olde Willow Stitchery Threads, Olive Hope Design, Original Designs By Christine, Periwinkle Promises, Pine Glen Designs, Princess and Me, Punchneedle Marketplace, R & S Designs, Reflets de Soie, Sampler Girl, Sandy Grossman-Morris Designs, Scarlet Quince, Scholehouse for the Needle, Sekas & Co, Silver Lining, Simple Stitches, Spring Valley Stitchery, Stitch A Gift, Stitch Niche, Stitching Pretty Presents, Stitching Studio, Stoney Creek Collection, Sue Hillis Designs, Summer House Stitche Workes, Sweet Pea Designs, Sweetheart Tree, SzuLet Creations, Tasselart, Threaded Needle Designs, Threads of Gold, Wild-Heart Designs, and X’s & Oh’s.

So please visit the online Needlework Show … Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to be a bigger part of the industry!

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Are You in on the Secret?

Wednesday, April 11th, 2007

San-Man Originals have some of the cutest designs around, but did you know they also have a SECRET Shop? Well, now you do.

I can’t tell you what’s available in the shop because that information is only for those of us who are already in the know. I will tell you that if you think San-Man Originals designs are cute, then you will absolutely LOVE what you’ll find in their Secret Shop.

But don’t worry; I won’t leave you flailing in the wind. I’m going to tell you exactly what you need to do to gain access to this wonderful underground organization and San-Man Originals’ Secret Shop. It’s actually quite easy, but oh so worthwhile. All you have to do is sign up for the San-Man Originals’ Newsletter. That’s it.

Now, not only will you be given the all-important magic word to allow you access to the Secret Shop, but you’ll also be kept informed by San-Man Originals of all their new releases!

Oh, one more thing … Pass it on!

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Magazine Information at Your Fingertips

Sunday, April 8th, 2007

Have you seen the Cross Stitch Magazine Database? Although it isn’t being regularly updated anymore, it contains information about many, many cross stitch magazines (408, to be exact … and 4068 individual patterns!) — especially if they were published prior to November of 2006. The database creator, Taneya, really put a lot of energy into it, creating a very useful resource for stitchers in the process. The database is searchable by subject or title (the title search is based on a key word), or you can browse by magazine or designer. Take a look … I think you’ll find yourself going back often.

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Another Great Sale!

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007

Anything you can order from Elegant Stitch’s Merchant Mall with Hoffman Distributing will be 20% off through the close of business in California on Friday, April 13th. I can’t think of a better way to ensure good luck on Friday the 13th than to know an order of goodies is on its way from Elegant Stitch!

Sale pricing won’t show up through the Hoffman link, but will be done at Elegant Stitch when your order is shipped. For more information, see the hot pink text under the April 2nd entry on Elegant Stitch’s What’s New page

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