Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Visit Tri-Cities!







(sorry about the picture glare...these are not done professionally, just for MY reference)


I'll give a little plug to my customer, the Tri-Cities Visitors and Convention Bureau. This is an order we put together for them yesterday....I'll emphasize, "we" is actually "I". I kept this project for myself! :) It was a fun one. I did not pour the chocolate piece, I'll give credit to others in my company for that...but, I did order the mold for the TCVCB, if that means anything! Oh...and made the bows...we imprint the ribbon here.


Lately, I've been ordering quite a few custom molds....as you travel throughout the country, to "touristy" places...you very well may see our label on the bottom of a chocolate piece! Our recent tradeshow, although not many, did bring in some good business, and also good contacts (ouch...I need to cold call...shy little me...although, is it really cold calling IF the customer gave me their card and advised me to call? I still stutter and stammer...I'm not the best at "hard" selling, and never will be...either you want my stuff or you don't...period...so, that's my philosophy...of course I have other elements which contribute....like good service, I'm sort of the "good experience" kind of company....from the very first phone contact, all the way to opening the order....it just has to be all warm and fuzzy!

Anyhow, I know this isn't a crafty card or scrapbook page...but, lately, my life has been sorting out tradeshow and holiday orders...I'm pretty ready to go home and chill at night! (And play WWF) So, for now, this business card holder with the chocolate "smart phone" (for trademark reasons, I think I better not specify which "kind" of smart phone)...customer branding on the face of it. If you had never heard of our fine (3)cities....and you have time...you ought to pull it up.

http://www.visittri-cities.com/

There is NO place like here...I'm convinced of that...doesn't have all the bells and whistles that a major metro has...but, we do have some pretty cool things to offer...especially if you are into wine tasting, fishing, agri-tourism, GOLFING, sports tournaments, yada yada yada....not sure it compares to Hawaii, but, there's some history here too...like the names: Sacajawea, (sorry Sacaja, I didn't bother to spell check your name, but since you are pronounced differently HERE than in the midwest...then...I can get by...you know there is a story to that comment!) Lewis & Clark, Oregon Trail...sort of cowboys and Indians...oh, and Ancient KENNEWICK Man, I think he was dated 1000 years old bones...maybe it was 10,000 (I know, huge difference I know it started with a 1 and had 3 to 4 zeros)...it sparked a LOT of controversy here (he was discovered about 6 miles from my house!)....should ancient Kennewick Man's bones be buried in sacred tribal fashion? Or....should a scientist be able to study this ancient man? We sat next to one of the tribal leaders on a flight to Vegas once....my input, I kept to myself...I had a chuckle listening to my husband digging himself deeper and deeper on that one....Seriously, hard to say....if I were part of the tribal nation...I'd want my bones back...but, if I were a Viking, not sure I'd care...ok...enough about ancient man...

Just thought I'd ramble about my "homeland"! LOL

Bye for now!

Trudi

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

25th Anniversary



So, not your typical guest book. The idea was to make this book inviting enough to write a memory, sort of casual, personal notes to the teachers who have been there from the start. I had offered to make TWO books...but, the committee advised against it, there are 2 new teachers on staff, and they felt one was enough, and the 2new ones might feel slighted. I even offered to make FOUR...Who am I kidding? I barely pulled off enough time to make ONE...and that ONE wasn't to perfection...but, it is what it is...my word "Treasures" didn't fit on one line...but, like a preschooler might also not fit on "one line", I didn't fret too much about it! Anyhow, here is the book. I was hoping to get a few more "entries" in this book...the dinner was at an event center, the room and dinner was above and beyond...lots of chatter going on...my little book, although there were full pages of writing...there is still room for about 2/3ds of a book! Oh well...it is what it is...glad I only spent 5 hours on it...rather than 5 weeks! hahahaha

I need to clean up my very messy studio...then, I might find craft inspiration AGAIN! Speed creating...was NOT fun!

In the picture: Those crayons, are chocolate crayons. We make these and sell them by the thousands to a certain franchise that makes Candy Bouquets. (not exclusively)...anyhow, FYI...

gday

Trudi