Announcement!

I Have A Notion blog and store have moved to:


the store can be found at


There is a much easier to navigate store, with new items. The blog has its own page as well... new content too.

The blog is now at www.ihaveanotion.com/blog

Please come and visit!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Stack The Deck Revisited Winner Announcement


I said I'd draw a winner on Wednesday....and today is Wednesday....and the winner is:

Quilter In The Gap

Congratulations to you!  Please e-mail me at IHaveANotion@yahoo.com with your full name and address and I'll put your book in the mail to you.

Time to say thanks to Martingale Publishers who gave the book for review and then to be given away.  THANK YOU Mary and Martingale and Company :)

As many of you know I had the privilege of being a guest blogger on Stash Manicure yesterday.  Someone had to tell me to go over and read the comments....duh....so I did.  Clearly I don't have access to comment there but to everyone who was kind enough to leave a comment THANK YOU!!

Mommarock left this comment:
love your posts! It is good to have someone try out products before you buy them.. my question to you is... do you buy all of the products you try.. or do the companies send them to you to try and do demos etc.? Do you search out the products or do the companies now find you? okay.. more than one question LOL.
I e-mailed her with the reply and she suggested others may want to know too.  If Inquiring Minds want to know....I'll just tell ya....

There are many different answers to this question.  When I do a review if folks would like to know where I found the item please let me know and I may consider adding that as a routine part of my review posts.  (Time for a fun pix....too may words without something to brighten the black print)
Waldo's Market Place India Quilt (aka Mrs. Rosemary)

Ahhh....that ought to feed our eyes for a few more sentences.

Most all of the products I review I have purchased myself.  From time to time I am given something, like my Sizzix Vagabond, that rocks so wildly that there is no way on GGE I would part with it unless you had an AK47.  (did you see my review?  click here and here )  Every other product that is listed on the sidebar of my blog under Product Reviews I have purchased.  Frequently authors have book signings at Market and a copy of their book is given to store owners for their shop displays.  Since I don't have a physical store I feel reviewing it on my blog and giving it away is still in line with the spirit in which the book was given.  I've been given an EnviroMate Pronto P7 Steam Cleaner that I won't part with either.  Believe it or not...I've had it for months and I have done several videos while using it....however Mr. McSteamy has to get the time to edit the video so I can show everyone what I'm talking about.  I'm just grateful the folks at Reliable have not come to my house and repo'd it.  They would need an AK 47 too. 


I also review books for a few publishers and those who ask me to review their books.  When it is for a publisher typically I get to choose the books I'm interested in reviewing.  Everything else I just find and review.  I have lots of friends who give me a heads up when they see something I might be interested in as well.  I do all of the research and use it and then just say what I see....pretty straightforward stuff.

While many shop owners to go Quilt Market to purchase for their next seasons needs, I go to see all the new products and ask if I can try the new product.  If I like it....I review it.  If I don't like something....I smile and keep walking.  Just because it is not something that interests me does not mean that it does not have another audience...it's just not me. 

The  reason I try the products first is because of my lack of faith in advertising and marketing in general.  How many times have we all purchased something thinking it was going to be the best thing since sliced bread and were disappointed...either it did not do what the advertisement said it would do or the quality of the item was not really worth the price you paid for it?  My answer to that question is way too often. 

Time to feed the eyes with a little visual candy... a random photo from Market:
Frogfolio by Java House Quilts (photo taken at Fall Quilt Market in Houston 2010)

Aside from being known as "front street" I'm also known as the woman who returns things that are sub-par without embarrassment and requests her money back.  Not that I'm a know it all.....because I certainly am not....however I do Have A Notion about many things and I've always wondered why folks did not just ask me first....I could have saved them a lot of time and trouble...some things just seem clear to me that are not clear to others.  Why?  Who knows...I can't sing, dance (well), draw.....but I do seem to be able to see many things clearly and I'm able to communicate without much hesitation.  I guess if you like me....you really like me and if you don't....you really really don't. 

If you have any more questions you would like answered....just leave them here on this post and I'll do my best to reply....I'm pretty much an open book.

If you have shopped at IHAN then you know I do my very best to make certain folks are happy with their purchases.  People call me all the time asking questions about products and they'll tell you...I don't try to "sell" them anything.  I'm all about edcuation and getting a good fit....the right item for the need/want.  If you've not purchased from IHAN.....dang....what are you waiting for?  Get over there and find a treasure and bring your friends too :)

Smiles,
Kelly

10 comments:

  1. Thank you Kelly for all your helpful info.:) I'm new to your blog - came over from your "Stash" post. I'm so glad to have found you. I'm looking forward to your posts:)

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  2. :) I love how you put your thoughts into words. You are able to say things so clearly, and that makes it really nice to read. Your true thoughts on a product really come thru, and I love how you demonstrate so clearly.. it is much appreciated!

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  3. First of all - Congrats to "Quilter in the Gap"

    Second, I would love for you to add "how I found this" to your reviews. I think that would be a fun bit of trivia.

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  4. Lovin' Mrs. Rosemary's quilt!!! WOW! I'm saving that photo to my "inspiration" folder for sure!

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  5. Actually, you're responsible for me having to purchase my Sizzix Vagabond. lol You got yours the day I found your blog, and until i read your blogs about it and watched your video, I didn't know which cutter I wanted. Thanks!

    To others who might read this comment, I want to say that I have made a purchase from IHAN/Kelly and it's been a true pleasure. You answered all of my questions and went above and beyond what many other companies do. They've forgotten what customer service was all about, but you haven't!

    I guess that you'd have to count me in as someone who really likes you! I love to read your blog.

    Thanks!

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  6. I've seen several blogs comment about the "Perfect Scissors". I would love to know your thoughts on them. I make and sell tiny, paper pieced jewelry and do a lot of trimming. My thumb gets really sore from my scissors. What I would really like to find is a pair of "snips" that are tough enough to trim off that excess fabric. Any ideas?

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  7. I a soooo excited! Thank you Kelly. I too would love for you to add "How I found this" Curious minds want to know...Ya know!

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  8. Woo hoo! Congrats to the big winner! That looks like a really fun book!

    And I love Rosemary's quilt!!! :-)

    My marketing two cents: I only shop with a few internet retailers for my sewing and notions fixes... And Kelly has never - ever steered me wrong. If I have a question, I get an answer. And the service she provides? Above and beyond 100%!!! My favorite sewing notions came from Kelly -- my "grim reaper" aka, famore seam ripper, my Go! cutter, instructional DVDs, and my big, beautiful stack of drop-dead gaw-juss batik fat quarters just to name a few... worth every penny
    (unpaid endorsement).

    I look forward to your Market and show posts... I can't wait to see the new stuff that's worthwhile... I like to hear why you chose to write about products as well. the cutter reviews and comparisons rocked...

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  9. Congratulations to the winner! Thanks Kelly for such an interesting post. I think your reviews can be much more easily accepted as honest, since you are purchasing the items yourself, as we are. You won't be tempted to "fudge" a little - you'll tell it like it is!
    Jacque in SC
    quiltnsrep(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for reading the IHAN Blog. I love getting and reading every comment that is left here; however I may not be able to respond to all comments left during giveaways. There are times when I am juggling many tasks at one time and may not reply to all comments. Please e-mail me at quiltnotions@gmail.com if you need a reply quickly. I thank you for your understanding and-
More Later-Beth

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