KA, KA, KA.. Hairball!!

I just received my order from Catslife Press.  Rubber Stamp producers extraordinaire. Noo, really I love their stuff. 

Here is some of the stamps I have procured for your enjoyment.

OK, not the ones at the bottom cause they kind of freak me out.  Especially the baby face. (shiver). And not the a Note from your mother.  Cause I'm not one (that's not nice to talk about me that way) and that would be just wrong.

Now "some" of you that have been reading this blog for awhile (I KNOW YOUR OUT THERE.. I CAN HEAR YOU BREATHING!) saw the post on envelope and embellishments.  I mentioned I would be giving one of these stamps away.  I "will" be, I have received another of the snail mail stamps for that purpose.

I need to figure out something cool for this one and frankly I have 2 giveaways going on right now I need to get finished up with first.  This is one prize that is definitively mail related and usable by everyone (stamp pad not included).  Need to think snail related, slug like, hmm something will come to me.  Anyway be looking for this one coming to a theater near you.  Will think of something neat to pair with it.  Escargot??

Derrick

Free from Poppin

Poppin.  Those Work Happy folks are giving away a free notebook with your order of $10 or more.



Now I don't know about you folks but I could blow $10 in ANY online store with a single click.

Poppin has some very reasonably priced items that come in a lovely color range. I bought quite a few of these notebooks last year intending to do a review.  That will be happening in the next 2 weeks as I will be home tending to Kim while recovering from surgery.

Some possible gift ideas:

The index binders
The Design a Desk collection
The Red Metal Pen
The Pink Wine + Beer Opener (always a hit around the office this time of year)

Give them a shot if you haven't been by there before.  Kim has of the large pink notebooks and really likes it.  More so than the Moleskine I bought her.

Derrick

MOVIE TIME!!

Just in time for Christmas viewing.  I have 2 (two) movies available for a digital giveaway.

Simple enough.

1. Follow the site.
2. Leave a comment

Now comes the part where you have to read.  Come on you didn't really think it would be that easy.  You folks have read this site enough to know it could never be that easy.  So somewhere in this diatribe you will find some kind of phrase to put in the comment area like "squirty tushy thing"  or maybe " no not the reindeer poo, I've been good".

I am truly hoping to get my Santa letters today so I can post them for you all to see.  Remember there is still time to have Sarah Hanna make them and still have them received before the day of doom with your little ones.

Don't forget the stationery giveaway I'm hosting for hitting my first year on the air.  You have until January 1st to get entered.  Make sure to READ the instructions.  I had to sent in that missed the instructions.  Can't say who they were, but I have to play fair.  So up for grabs a box of Original Crown Mill (50 envelopes and 100 sheets of Laid paper in Cream)

"The crisp laid finish paper, known as the Original Crown Mill, replicates a 17th century handmade writing sheet, commissioned by Charles II and made by the monks of La Hulpe Monastery in Belgium. Since 1870, the venerable Belgian company, Pelletier, has replicated this sheet in a classic line of cards, sheets, and lined envelopes. While remaining faithful to their classic stationery line, Pelletier has recently introduced several innovative, contemporary lines. They are made with the same quality, elegance, and attention to packaging detail that has made Original Crown Mill stationery the staple of every fine paper department in Europe and beyond."
 
and as a second prize a package of Arpa handmade paper (4.25" x 6.5" larger note size in either salmon or pink).

"What is unique to Arpa papermaking is a commitment to producing a consistent, quality handmade paper of beauty in reliable stocking quantities. Special attention has been taken to ensure the reliability of the lovely natural colors, surface texture and archival purity of the papers from one batch to the next.

Arpa handmade papers are made of pure cotton and linen. The labor intensive process of preparing, pressing and drying the pulp to make the papers is done with the same traditional tools that papermakers have used in Spain for hundreds of years. "

Now back to that phrase to put into the comments thing go with the second one.  Where you paying attention?  

Up for grabs, the digital downloads for TED, and The Bourne Legacy.

Thanks for playing.  Winner selected on Friday the 21st. So watch for the announcement next Friday when I will announce and request your email address so I can send you the codes to download from the Universal site.

Derrick 

 

FN Colors (Heroic)

Here is their post

As always, this is a note to let our email subscribers know about a new product before we offer it up for sale to everyone else.

For our seventeenth seasonal release, we've created a memo book that will hold up to extreme conditions: wind, rain, sleet and abuse of all kinds. For the winter of 2012, we're proud to present THE EXPEDITION EDITION.

"Antarctic Log, Day 67: It's flippin' freezing here."

Heroic

The EXPEDITION EDITION sports a hi-visibility "Antarctic Survey Orange" front cover and "Polar Night Black" back cover, with a subtle varnish effect featuring a topographic map of Antarctica. The body pages feature our always popular 'dot grid' graph paper, printed in light gray.

The real innovation here is the paper. It's maybe not even fair to call it paper. The whole book is printed on Yupo Synthetic, a water- and tear-proof, high-tech paper manufactured in Chesapeake, Virginia. Each 3-Pack is belly-banded in gray and shrink-wrapped, and ready for pretty much whatever you throw at it. For reference, check the films of a series of extreme tests we performed on the EXPEDITION EDITION at F.N. Labs recently.

Click to see the EXPEDITION EDITION

These indestructible memo books are the perfect place to plan a winter sojourn, record a dream from a long, dark, cold night, or most anything else you have planned for the season:

Snowmobile Trails Marked
Black Diamond Runs Made
Life List : 46 Adirondack High Peaks
Last Will & Testament
Real New Year Resolutions
Ice Shanty Euchre Scores
Diary of Your Slow Descent Into Madness
Small Mammal Paw Print Reference
Pond Hockey Scores
How Much Dad Owes You for Shoveling
Harnessed-Pair Sled Dog Combinations

The winter edition is priced the same as all of our 3-Packs, at just $9.95 each. They're on sale now and starting with COLORS subscriptions, they're shipping today. Order this week to make sure you have them for Christmas.

Limit 3 per household please.

Now my take.

These were developed for the Antarctic trip coming up next October by Ben Saunders  He and his team are going to WALK to the south pole and back.  I don't know if he was just bored one day and thought "hey I know..."  The last time someone tried this, it didn't turn out to well.  But then again they didn't have wag bags back then either.

Now this time I "actually" have uses for these.  Do I collect them? DUH! I have a compulsion to grab these when available and do use them on a daily basis.  Carry one on my person at all times.  Especially during work when I can barely remember where I'm going let alone that router I logged into 9 months ago and need to reconfigure.

You need to check out the "ballistics" test, careful kid you'll shoot your eye out.  Didn't pass the Flame Resistance test though (who would have guessed)

Alright, so in my OCD kind of way I have ordered 6 sets of these books.  I will be parting out 2 of them to my readers.  Leave a comment below with what you would do with the EPIC/Heroic version of this edition of the Field Notes Colors.  You must mention FNC in the comment (see that whole following directions/I paid attention in school thingy).  You Must be a follower of the blog (yes I verify all of them).

Now if you read the list above you'll find I will probably have to write down in one of these item #4 if Kim finds out I keep buying these things.  So help me get rid of a few :)

And GO!

Derrick

  

Should I Eat or.. Naaa, I'll buy this instead

So I'm sitting here surfing for "stuff". Because that's what I do on my down time while I wait to pass out after wrestling with my daughter who stayed up WAY to late because we went to a movie (which was really good by the way) and all she ate was "theater fair" (bad daddy).

So after shooting her full of elephant tranquilizers (ok, Kim's in there laying in bed with her), I'm searching for stuff. I come upon this little gem.

I know, whoppdy doo. It's a pencil Derrick. Who gives a flying reindeer pellet. OOOO But wait. This is no ordinary pencil. It's the Graf von Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil (big type for effect). The Graf von Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil can leap tall buildings in a single bound, rescue kittens from burning buildings, cure global warming, replace that warm water tushy squirty thing (on my bucket list).


But Derrick, how is this all possible. How can the Graf von Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil do all these wondrous things. It can't. Sheesh. It's a FREAKING PENCIL. However the folks that are trying to sell this 8th wonder of the world are trying to get YOU to part with $260 bucks.

Here is their schpiel, schtick, con.

"The culmination of the history of the pencil is the "Perfect Pencil" from Graf von Faber-Castell. Enjoyment in writing and sketching with the classic pencil means that it should always be sharp. But where to keep the sharpener? The best place, of course, is there where you need it - on the pencil, integrated in the extender, which protects it while making it suitable to keep in your pocket. The pencil extender with integrated sharpener occupies a special position in our collection. Together with the replaceable eraser under the pencil's cap, everything is always quickly accessible within the smallest space - for writing, correcting and sharping. A premium pencil in precious Californian cedar with fine fluting and replaceable eraser. Extender with integrated sharpener and multi-part spring-clip. Finished in silver, platinum or Sterling silver plating. Pencils also available in black-dyed cedar wood. The "perfect" pencil = the Perfect Pencil. From Faber Castell."

Now it may be the bee's knees for someone. Someone who has more money than common sense. I looked this little tidbit up.

Good old Ticonderoga #2 - 96 Pencils/box - $15 (amazon) - that's 17.33 Boxes or 1664 pencils. Now I don't think in my lifetime I could go through 1664 pencils. I would be luck to go through 1 box in what, 10 years.

Just curious, I wonder how much the refills are??

Remember that Forrest Gump line "life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get". Buy a freakin box of Whitman Samplers, they come with a map! Just like this pencil. It's a pencil. Go buy a REALLY nice fountain pen instead. Hell, you can even change the color of the ink if you like.


Derrick

Santa Clause is coming to...

OK, I want one.  For Kaylee.  and I'm going to order one today.

So what am I talking about.  SANTA LETTERS.

This one however comes from the very adept hand of Sarah Hanna of Winter Park (see Christmasyy -ish) Florida.

So what is so special about Sarah's letters.  Well for one, while they may not carry the "north pole" postmark they carry something much more to me than that.  They carry CRAFTSMANSHIP.

All of her letters are a one off, all personalized and HAND DONE.

Not sure about you folks, but last year we ordered one for Kaylee and I was really disappointed in the "churned out" pre-typed, on standard letterhead I could have picked up at the local Michael's.

Sure I could have "added" some reindeer poo, or a hoof stamp (I have one of those).  Pretty sure I could even come up with my own North Pole meter stamp if I looked.

What I would rather have sitting in the tree is this lovely letter in the RED envelope she couldn't possibly miss on Christmas morning.

So.. What do you get?  Glad you asked.

Contact Sarah.  Click -> Here <-  She will send you out 2 PDF files with the order form and some "suggestions" for the CRS/SMH (stole that last one from Limner) old folks who may need some creative inspiration. She Charges $20 + $5 for shipping.  I would have paid more than that for the Crap Fest I received last year..  Ooo  But it came with a on the "Nice List" certificate.

She will also send you some photos of the possibles.

Allow for some custom tweaks

Place the Seal of Happiness

And package it for you to stash until your spawn is passed out from the sugar high she has been on all Christmas Eve pounding hot chocolate and whip cream like some junkie that's going to be cut off before going to jail only to wake up in the morning feeling like crap and finding out the Governor has granted a pardon and find this hanging in the tree.

So for the parents that want a touch of elegance and something you will WANT to keep in the family Christmas scrapbook.  Check out Sarah's site.  You won't be disappointed.

Derrick

A Season of Giveaways (iHanna)

So this came third party.  Another blog I ready A Penchant for Paper told me of someone else doing a giveaway for a book.  Market Yourself (A Marketing System for Smart and Creative Business Owners).

The folks over at iHanna are giving away a copy for December (a season of giving:)

Give em a look see..  And don't forget my giveaway on the 25th.. Only 18 more days to enter