skip to main content

closer to my own store

26 years ago

The scrapbook store that closed called me today (I guess I was their best customer, what a surprise. LOL) and sold me a bunch of paper, and two paper racks. I am getting closer and closer to opening my own store. :) I still have to wait till I am done remodelling my mom's apartment though because I don't want to get into to this without being able to devote 100% of my off work time to it. Penny

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

Patti in NH
26 years ago
Wow Penny - that's great!! I wish I lived near you so I could give you all of my business.

Will you go web as well? Our LSS also sells supplies on the web as well as offer classes and sell supplies (obviously) on site. I'm just curious. CAll me nosey. :)
Penny
Original Author
26 years ago
Dear Patti,
I am not sure about the web yet, I am not good enough to do the HTML it takes to make a web site but a good friend of mine does it for a living and she said I could abuse her talents (love her) but first I want to become a little more knowledgeable about some of the aspects of both scrapbooking and store management and save up some cash for expenses. (although I have 13 years of retail experience with 5 of it being management, it is still alot different when you don't have a lot of extra cash to tie up in stock, and I have to keep my other money making job, if for nothing else but the insurance.) I have to create a need for the store here in the community also since there are VERY few others besides myself locally intersted in this craft, but I figure I can get others interested in it by demo's at the schools and local churches, scout meeting, etc... At least one chruch has already approached me about giving a class, and I have not even advertised yet, but I intend to go slow and easy, and I don't want to do too many classes now and have some one else with more cash open a store before I can. I have worked too hard on getting prepared for that to happen. Penny P.S. I will give you a sneak peek at the name though it is to be called : Remembering Adam , not very scrapbook catchy but my choice anyway.
Related Discussions
Changed my mind...building my own Grow Light Setup
Q
Comments (13)
Thanks greg I was figuring somewhere around 12 - 16 hours. Dave I was thinking I'd plug the thermostat in the wall socket then plug a power strip into that and the mats into that. What is a good temp to set the thermostat at for starting seed? When the seeds start to grow I'm thinking I can turn the mats down if not off altogether is that right? Also since the trays will be one above the other which tray would be the best to use the probe on? I was going to get some Styrofoam board with like foil on one side to set the mats on to help reflect the heat back up instead of letting it dissipate down is that a good idea? I also ordered some mylar film to put in front of and behind the shelves to help keep the light bouncing around inside. I don't want to do the sides so that there can still be some air circulation. I will keep this thread going with updates and pictures as I go so that people can comment on what I'm doing right and wrong. Also so that others might be thinking of doing the same thing might learn from my mistakes and what (if anything) I am doing right.
...See More
Making my own evap. cooler
Q
Comments (9)
I just talked to Sandy at Hall's Flower Shop in Stone Mountain. She says it works really well. At one end. The closer to the pads and vents the temps are 75* about 2/3 down it stays 100-110* when it's 90 outside. The farther away from the pads the hotter it is. Thier greenhouse is about 30x60 with 60 being the width wise. And they have 8 very large exhaust fans She said she would recommend them. But I only used misters last year and I never had temps much over 92 when it was 90 outside. and when the misters came on it cooled it another 4-5*. My greenhouse is 32x37. I would suggest trying the misters first. (You can always use them later for plant watering.) See how much that cools before investing a lot of money into makeing a swamp cooler or investing in an evaporative unit. An Aquafogger with an oscillating arm and connection would cost me a little over $1000.00. I will try it first before considering a swamp cooler. Even if I built a swamp cooler my self I would have to invest around $400 for a large enough pump and the pads. I am also concerned about algae and fungus in the pads. In the winter they would need to be taken out and stored somewhere else. If not by spring they would be ruined with algae. Then there is the cleaning of the pads and replacing them every so often. It is a novel idea to have a swamp cooler and I know when and if I ever get to move out west that is the A/C out there. I just don't have the time or engery to build one right now. So anybody that does build one please keep us posted as to how it works out.
...See More
Store Bought Seeds vs. Saving Your Own
Q
Comments (9)
It is probably impossible to identify by the photo but it is the one out in front. ***** It is impossible to ID it by a photo other than to say that it's a typical gold/red bicolor. But there are close to 100 varieties of gold/red bicolors that are known, and most of them look pretty much alike. As for saved seeds, the nice thing is that if you save your own you know exactly what the age is. When buying seed you often see a packed for date but that only means when the seeds were packed, not when they were produced. Some, but not all seed companies, do germination tests on the seeds they sell. And some companies produce all the seed they sell, some subcontract out for seed production, and some buy wholesale off the shelf and some do a combo of what I've said. The one place where you can be sure of buying tomato seed that's never more than two years old is Sandhill Preservation, and I can't make that comment for any other company that I know of. iF any of you know any other companies that can make that claim, please let me know. Carolyn
...See More
Getting closer wtih my plans
Q
Comments (17)
Pocket doors are a good solution, especially for the closets, because you never want any two doors inhabiting the same swing area. Actually, that's a safety issue and may be covered under the local building codes. So put the W/D upstairs, and put a TV in that room. Gorsh, another TV isn't all that expensive. Go online and meander through some of the sites for 'closet designs.' The reason small walk-ins aren't very good is that they are small walk-ins. They usually bear a strong resemblance to a crowded cave and are extremely difficult to adapt to useful, convenient, usable storage. You also lose the visual openess (means that the whole bedroom looks smaller) when you enclose a space that used only to stand in while reaching for a hangar. A single-use space isn't too efficient. And I know from experience that not many children are going to go into that cave to get and/or put away shoes. It doesn't seem to matter that they are small enough to bend over without putting their butt through the back wall, it's just that they WON'T bother. Their viewpoint seems to be that shoes and socks belong in the same armreach, and socks are usually in drawers so drop the shoes near the sock drawer. Uh, huh. This doesn't apply to those folks who walk in the door and immediately remove their footwear -- and I'm one of 'em. [I keep houseshoes and yard shoes by the most-used door; dress shoes are stored on the wall in the dress closet.] Okay, we appear to have a difficulty with tactile use of a 4' wide space. Go to your present bathtub; hang some hangars from the shower curtain rod. Measure the space -- it'll probably be real close to 4' from the far shoulder of the hangar to the wall. Now get into the tub and walk up and down with the wall on one side and the hanging clothes on the other side....that's what you are planning to allow for the closet.
...See More
Pam - Illinois
26 years ago
Penny,
Good for you!! That sounds wonderful, just take your time so you don't get overwhelmed. Also, line up a few friends and teach them so they can help you if it gets really busy. As far as the name for your store I think it's GREAT! gets
away from the usual scrappin names.

Pam
Hilary
26 years ago
I love your shop name. Isn't that what this is all about? Remembering and preserving the memories.
Hilary
Patti in NH
26 years ago
Penny, it certainly sounds to me like you've got this well thought out. I think your store will be a huge success.

I must admit that doing the demos should work great. One of the CM consultants in this area does them at the town hall once every few months (she advertises in the paper that she's offering "photo preservation classes") and charges the basic $10 fee that CM charges for a home class. By doing this, she gets a lot more people than a regular class and builds up a whole new customer base. She also advertises on the backs of church buletins, at the children's museum, the library buletin board, etc. You're right when you say it's important to advertise. I see this womans name everywhere.

Good luck with it. I love the name -- it really gets the point across. :)
Tracy
26 years ago
Penny hey that is great you never told me you wanted to open a store and i love the name. Be sure and let me know when your gonna open and i will come help out with the opening festivites. You are right though i have a former friend ( long story i'll tell you about it later) who has a shop here and it took her loads of money to get started and forever efore she showed profit but on the brighter side both of the new ones here that have opened here have both already shown profit and one of em has only been opened since feb. GOOD LUCK AND KEEP ME POSTED ON THESE THINGS GEEZ

Related Stories

DIY PROJECTS Tint Your Own Paint for New-Looking Walls

Dabbling in mixology means you can use up leftover paint and give your walls a custom look in one fell swoop

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow Your Own Sweet Summer Crops

By Marianne Lipanovich

This guide will help any gardener get started on growing the freshest warm-season veggies and berries for summer

HOUSEKEEPING Find Your Perfect Spring Cleaning Plan

By Laura Gaskill

Choose from six flexible approaches to refresh your home without the stress

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING How to Get an Outdoor Kitchen of Your Own

By Steven Corley Randel, Architect

New project for a new year: Build a cooking space for your yard or patio to make entertaining a breeze

FLOWERS Herb Garden Essentials: Grow Your Own Fragrant Lavender

By Marianne Lipanovich

This do-it-all plant is ideal for almost any garden, and its uses are abundant around the home

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Unwind in Your Own Private Garden Escape

When the world is getting on your last nerve, an outdoor refuge can soothe and nurture. Here's how to design a garden with relaxing in mind

FIREPLACES Design Workshop: Smart Ways to Store Wood Outdoors

By Eric Reinholdt, Architect

Consider size, location, protection, air circulation and, of course, style for storing your firewood

MORE ROOMS Junk-Storing Garage Becomes a Cabana Getaway

By Becky Harris

See how a family short on space swapped storage for a steam shower, a wet bar and room to play

REMODELING GUIDES Closer Look: Lindsey Adelman's Bubbles of Light

By Vanessa Brunner

Unique handblown light fixtures play with shapes of both nature and machine

MORE ROOMS Closer Look: Violet's Magical Nursery

By Vanessa Brunner

Lauren Hufnagl creates a chic and soothing nursery on a budget