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

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

Our booth

Tomorrow we head back home. We have been gone now for a week and so much to share. I'm learning how to blog with my iPhone. I can't figure out how to upload a picture. I guess just picture the lights and ding ding bling bling that you would see in Las Vegas. If I can figure out how to I'll upload a picture or two of our booth. We wrote some good orders up and have some too good to be true potential. If even one of my handful of "potential" deals do come through, we will be very chocolate busy!!! In the meantime I am thrilled with the real deal orders that we are going to be working on. I see a long term relationship with several!!!!

My Display

Will have about 12 different tourism themes...one being:

ZOO

Did I mention that I'm off to a trade show in VEGAS ... next week at this time, it will be 1/2 over. I'm still gathering my display...it seems like after the brochure is done...most of the stress is over...or...maybe just beginning. I do NOT like making brochures, which my assistant once questioned me why...since I like scrapbooking so much!

Gotta go...lots to do!

Trudi

I Need To Scrapbook This!

No time to write...this was taken October 2005...look at the little penants in the background...I LUV this picture!!! I need to get this one scrapbooked.....

Trudi

Today

The phone is going nuts...and I'm trying to multi-task...and feeling my blood pressure going up. I need to STOP...take a BREATHER...it's JUST CHOCOLATE....I really enjoy working for the advertising world and public relations...but YIKES....instant sometimes is not doable. It IS fun working on promotional events for big companies...just the chain of command is what it is...I can only do what my suppliers will do for me!

So, here is MY breather (for now)...I will hopefully unwind later, after the matter...it's been a chocolate challenging week! Lots of stuff going on!

Yesterday, I sent an order out...the last of a particular product...as we are no longer going to offer this item. Unfortunately, the customer could not get what she originally wanted, because our supply was short...but working with her for over 15 years...she told me ... just make it look good ... it has to have some sort of apple theme.

There was absolutely no profit in this order, IF I were to pay myself an hourly wage (she ordered 40 only, but the apple making, with interuptions took about 3 hours to make!).......after chasing lost chocolate down in hot parts of the nation, meeting impossible deadlines for others, bidding on projects we have no possibility of getting (you never know though, so I bid) ... I wanted something fun to do! I value all customers, but this one in particular has been through thick and thin with me...so...I made a little apple for her!

My crafty thing for the day....

I used "Give A Hoot" (this cartridge is the sweetest cartridge...I think I (heart) it. The cookies...are cookies with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on them...sort of like pie dough (cookies) ... a thing my Mom used to make for us when we were little with the leftover pie dough...(what is this with PIES lately! LOL!)

Speaking of pies...over the weekend, I'll tally the results to "Trudi's Friends Favorite Pies" I have a feeling it might be in the holiday kinds...pecan was pretty popular....but so were the cream filled ones....

Back to my reality...enough unwinding for now...

Trudi

TGIP!!!

You know the saying, TGIF?! Well...TGI .... PIE DAY!!!!!! At first, I felt funny about printing God on my card...this is not a serious card, and I don't want to offend anybody. If you all have followed my postings, you already know, and if you haven't followed since the beginning...I'm careful to not misuse anything to do with faith. I have faith, and I don't willy nilly abuse it...however...this card has inspired so much conversation with family and friends...that I can't help but think that *maybe* this was meant to be....let me explain...

Before I get started I wanted to make note that this card was inspired by the BBTB2 card challenge:

http://heather-bittenbythebug2.blogspot.com/2011/08/pie-challenge-paper-dolls-dress-up.html

Boo Hoo....I missed the deadline to upload this to the challenge!!! I dawdled and missed it...but, truly wanted to upload it on a "Friday".... I was :( (not really...missing a card challenge isn't the end of the world...but...I was wanting to add it to the other fun "takes" on the challenge...you ought to go browse, if you haven't already" Anyhow....I was pleasantly surprised to see that my card met the criteria for the current card contest on the BBTB2 board!!!!! I stamped the word "apple" on my card and used a very old SU alphabet set of mine on the inside (crayon kids lower case alphabet).....the whole card is inky and my duplicates will probably even have MORE stamping on them....the "red" I used was Red Riding Hood Red from SU current c/s offerings....the rest...is retired stuff and supplies from the big time olden days...I have no idea where I acquired the green gingham dp...all I know...is it was what I was looking for! Here is the link! (I was saying oodles of oohs and aahhhs viewing the "ippity" stamps offerings....me thinks there is room in my studio for a few of these sets!)

http://heather-bittenbythebug2.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-contest-ippity-stamps.html

Here's where I'm coming from, when I say, how I think *this was meant to be*....you all know the wonderful world of facebook? So, I've had a bit of hardtimes this summer...and I have received tons of facebook support... I know how nice it is to see comments in the double digits...I pitched a question out there....expecting only ONE person to answer...I had told my sister about my TGIP day....(will elaborate on that next)....and as a joke...I facebook marketing researched it...."WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIE"....I'm not kidding...I had facebook friends from all 4 corners of the U.S. answering this question...stories to share and all...from "Grandma's special rhubarb pie" ... to "I luv the smell of the holidays...pies"..... so what's cool about all that ... WHAT A COOL WAY TO CONNECT WITH FRIENDS! It wasn't a heavy hearted thread...it was one of fond memories and fun stories....hmmmm....

My original thought...why I didn't nix putting God in my card....MY idea was to TGIP my friends! You know, maybe a friend who is sad for whatever reason...I have a girlfriend very sad right now because her oldest child is off to college for the first time....another because her "baby" is starting kindergarten....a friend struggling with very personal issues...another leaving the country for 2 years....and then there are for good reasons....a sister who was so so supportive to me while my son and I were in Seattle...without her, I would have been alone there, possibly....another sister who unconditionally, no matter what...is my soul mate...another who is the leader of us all...and one far from home, but close to my heart....THEN...there are people who I DON'T KNOW...but, I see them at church, or hear about things...who have hit a spot in their lives, who being the recipient of a TRAK...a TOTALLY Random Act of Kindness...just might give them comfort, if only it's for the length of time to eat a bite of PIE. (I've been there...when STRANGERS offered comfort...this happened a few years ago after my niece was killed....it's the little things sometimes that help get us through....baby steps)

...THAT was my idea....to bake a pie...and deliver to (fill in the blank) with a homemade card.

OK...my facebook question was a 2 part ? You see...it takes me an eternity to make cards...that I know...I am making about 16 right now....so, the liklihood of flouring up my kitchen on top of that...plus run a business...sounds a little optimistic...so, I involved Cyrus O'Leary. I think the company makes the same kinds of pies that my cards will be... :)

I have to thank BBTB2 for giving me inspiration on this!!!! This card sparked so much conversation...it's unreal! And...I had to put my thinking cap on it......I hope I'm not out of the wakky world with my idea...my 11 year old "doesn't get it" .... nor does her friend....my son thinks I'm a little weird...but, I sure enjoyed making this..., I guess that's all that matters! I also kind of know a company that sort of named their chain of resturaunts after the "concept".......it's not that far of a stretch!

NOW..............go make a pie.....and give someone a SMILE!

I will/can follow up with the results of my research...as to which won as favorite...

Oh...forgot to add! I used supplies that I thought I would never use again!!! My original sizzix alphabet!!! (for the chipboard TGIP) How cool is THAT!!!

Hey...I still don't know how to e-mail back to anyone who leaves a response...so, don't think I don't want to...if I can I will..but..if you would like to share....I'd really like to know...WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIE!!!

Trudi