Tales from behind the till

I know, how much more blabbing about my week off I can do? Oh, loads, believe me. So the idea was that over the week, I would when possible, make a few cards - perhaps a couple of samples to demonstrate new stock - nothing in particular and luckily, no orders! I made one card this week. It's not that there wasn't time, it's much more that when I was alone in the shop, I tidied and straightened stuff - with the temperament of a huffy person who's own personal stash had been mis-handled I can tell you! This activity had two results - I learned a lot more about what is in stock and where it lives, and I spent a fortune.

Exhibit A: This is the one card.

I bought the 180 sheet 12" book of papers to use, the stamp, the bronze ink pad and the Cosmic Shimmer embossing powder (that actually you can't tell from this, it's gorgeously pearly and pinky brown) and then a packet of red buttons. In real life it comes to about £28. So if you get this card from me for Christmas, please be chuffed to bits! Because I'm special and because this is for next weeks workshop, I qualify for a discount, which I don't take for granted, believe me. But I hope Mr D doesn't read this - he doesn't get it. but he'd probably start taking a more active interest if he knew how much I needed to spend to make a card!

On Wednesday, late lunch time a lady came into the shop. It was very busy - the workshop table covered in stuff that 7 people were playing with and working at and chatting and supping coffee. Quite noisy too. This particular lady needed a walking stick and she leaned upon it carefully as she made her way up to the table...I was a bit trapped by people and was trying to get to her to save her a journey - you know what I mean. I called to her and she asked for a crochet hook. I apologised and said that we didn't have any. She looked very cross with me and said 'you do, I only just bought the wool from you about an hour ago'. She hadn't, this shop doesn't sell wool either. I apologised again, told her the best I could do was sell her a pack of needles - perhaps she'd got the wool further up the road (a very good Charity shop about 5 doors up). She got very impatient and said I was wrong, waved her bag of wool at the workshop table and said 'if you don't sell all that stuff, why are they doing patchwork in here then?'. Well colour me dumbstruck. To convince her, I had to let her see that the fabrics were actually papers and everything associated with cutting and sticking. Ah well, a sale lost. But at least she had the good grace to tell me that I wasted her time and effort!