Retailer Announces 18.1% Increase in Seasonal Hires

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, the nation's largest fabric and craft retailer, has announced an 18.1% increase in seasonal hires over last year.

According to Travis Smith, chief operations officer for Jo-Ann, the company has hired 2779 seasonal employees, which currently account for 13.4% of its total workforce. Last year at this time, seasonal employees accounted for 11%. "Obviously, we are very pleased to be able to offer employment to more people in these challenging economic times. This increase is a result of our recent sales trend and expectations for holiday traffic in our stores," Smith explained. "By hiring these additional employees we hope to ensure excellent customer service during the holiday season."

On Thursday, November 5, Jo-Ann announced same-store sales increased 4.3% in the third quarter, driven largely by a 4.9% increase in customer traffic. Smith cites the growing trend in handmade holiday gifts as a contributing factor. "Our customers tell us they enjoy making personalized gifts and that the recipients enjoy the uniqueness and meaning in these gifts," he said.

SOURCE Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

Cookies by Design, a national franchisor based in Plano, Texas, is opening its new Gifting Center this month in Plano. The Center, which will be the company's central distribution location for many customers across the U.S., will employ 75 new workers.

"In addition to creating 75 new jobs in our local area, we will also use a portion of the Center's revenues to increase national advertising efforts," commented Gwen Willhite, founder of Cookies by Design. "Although we've been in business for more than 25 years, there are still many people who are not aware of us. Our national advertising efforts help to enhance our brand awareness and increase sales for our franchise and corporate locations."

Cookies by Design offers unique cookie gifts and treats including creative cookie bouquets of hand-decorated sugar cookies. "Because our product is hand-crafted, many of the new employees we're hiring are bakers and cookie decorators," said Willhite. Other employees to be hired include product packaging associates and call center personnel.

In addition to two corporate shoppes in the local area, Cookies by Design also has over 150 franchised shoppes in 42 states.

With the Holidays just around the corner, Cookies by Design is sure to bake up happiness - for both customers across the country and 75 newly employed area residents.

Cookies by Design created the world's first cookie bouquet over 25 years ago and continues to provide customers with creative gifts of gourmet and hand-decorated cookies in a variety of shapes and sizes for every occasion. Today, there are shoppes across the country that offer hand-delivery of these creative cookie gifts and treats. For more information, visit www.cookiesbydesign.com.

SOURCE Cookies by Design

A unique and talented group of more than 18 North Shore artisans are hosting Harbor Holidays at The Boston Yacht Club on Saturday, November 21, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 1 Front Street in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Admission to the event is free and there is ample parking.

"This is a great opportunity to sail through your holiday shopping, enjoy the panoramic views of the beautiful, historic Marblehead Harbor, while enjoying a cup of warm chowder," said Patsy Wiswell, Harbor Holidays co-chair.

All of the vendors are local artists with crafts including unique jewelry, chic clothing, fine art, hand-painted furniture, and hand blown glass. This year's show includes work from Patsy Kane, Lucky Fish, TQOF Jewelry, Landfall Gallery, Old Town Nantucket Baskets, Martha Everson Photography, Bass Point Wildcrafting, Le T, Peapod Fashions, and more!

There will be chowder for sale and The Balloon Man will be on hand from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for the kids.

In addition, during the Harbor Holidays, the Marblehead nonprofit, Community of Friends is kicking off its 2009 Stocking Drive to help more than 500 children. Volunteers are needed to help fill handcrafted stockings with loving gifts for the underserved children. The organization's mission is to provide practical necessities, outreach services and enriching experiences to our neighbors in need. For more information on Community of Friends, please visit their website: www.communityoffriends.org

"Please come and pick up a stocking to fill for Community of Friends and make a child in need's holiday special," added Wiswell.

For more information regarding Harbor Holidays, contact Patsy Wiswell at 781-631-4677.

SOURCE Harbor Holidays

If you're among the 65 percent of Americans planning to cut back on holiday spending as reported in a new Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll, the Illinois CPA Society suggests taking a traditional approach to the season. Retailers are putting an old-fashioned spin on the holidays with comforting traditions like red and green decorations and resurrecting old ideas like layaways and Christmas Clubs. Give some thought to using these programs and add a few time-tested ideas of your own to make the holiday enjoyable and affordable.

• It's the most wonderful time of the year, so plan ahead for it. Once popular Christmas Club accounts are making a comeback. For those unfamiliar with the concept, Christmas Clubs, usually at local banks, offered a special savings account on which you earned a little interest before you withdrew the money for holiday shopping. Check out the details of new variations on the idea, like Christmas Club Cards offered by retailers or see if this type of account is offered though your credit union.
• Bring things home for the holidays (but not before you pay them). Consider using layaway programs being reintroduced by retailers. Layaway programs allow you to put aside items and pay for them in installments usually without charging interest. Just the opposite of a credit card, merchandise is held until it's paid for in full. Do check the details for each purchase; terms may vary from store to store.
• Make a list and check it twice. Making a list and sticking to it is an old and obvious idea but it really helps to control costs. Decide in advance who's getting a gift and exactly how much you plan on spending. Don't stray from the amounts or add people to the list later. Break the habit of holiday shopping sprees - no impulse purchases or splurges - just what's on the list.
• Deck the halls with anything you can find in and around the house. There's no need to spend money each year on more decorations - use the old ones or items grandma and grandpa no longer need. Get creative; make it a family project to see how you can decorate with things you already have on hand. Scour your memory for old craft projects like the paper snowflakes you made as a kid. Use photos as ornaments, make popcorn garlands or paint pinecones from the yard.
• Let it Snow - stay close to home. Avoid costly special events; limit travel and check out local no cost events like tree lighting ceremonies or community band concerts. Don't accept every invitation for a special night out to celebrate the season and break your budget by feeling the need to keep up with everybody. Entertain simply at home; dinners can be potluck, progressive, or organized so family and friends each bring their homemade specialties to cover different parts of the meal.
• For Happy Holidays, when you do spend, spend wisely. Take advantage of the deals being offered to consumers in tough times. These are incentives to spend so chose wisely, but look for holiday specials at stores, restaurants and other venues. There are many opportunities to save such as buy one get one free, door buster specials, coupons for additional discounts, free shipping, or getting five $25 gift certificates for the price of four. Also "cash in" bonus points accumulated on some credit cards to buy gift cards, a no-cost way to fund holiday gift giving.

 

SOURCE Illinois CPA Society

The art of pumpkin carving is a centuries-old tradition, dating back to an ancient Celtic holiday called Samhain, meaning summer's end. Over time, the tradition has evolved and the carved pumpkin (or Jack-o-Lantern) has become one of the most prominent symbols of Halloween.

While each Jack-o-Lantern is different with its own unique size and style, they all share one thing in common - on November 1, the carved pumpkin is immediately out-of-season and soon replaced by fall and Thanksgiving decor. Many people even wait until the last minute to do their carving to help ensure their pumpkin stays as fresh as possible for Halloween.

That's why the Duck® brand has a new suggestion and the perfect accessory for any pumpkin this fall - duct tape! Unlike traditional carving, decorating with duct tape can prolong the life of your pumpkin, allowing you to start on your design earlier, then change or remove it completely after Halloween, making it versatile enough to use throughout the fall. And styling your pumpkin in duct tape will eliminate the mess left behind from carving, while allowing you to be creative and colorful all at the same time.

Duck Tape® brand duct tape is available in more than 20 colors and patterns, so the choices for your pumpkin's design are endless! Here are a few examples to get you started:

• Deck it out. Make an entire costume for your pumpkin. If you're crafty and have some time, turn your pumpkin into a witch with a duct tape cape, hat and broom. For a quick and easy look, wrap your pumpkin in white duct tape for the perfect mummy motif.
• Show your pride. With so many colors to choose from, it's easy to pick a theme or use your pumpkin's design to demonstrate your patriotism, celebrate your favorite sports team or pay tribute to your alma mater.
• Go abstract. Step away from the traditional Halloween look - choose your favorite combination of duct tape colors and cover your pumpkin with some bright stripes, zigzags or polka dots.
• Be a little two-faced. Can't decide on a favorite design? You don't have to - decorate both sides of your pumpkin and rotate it throughout the Halloween season. Try playing off dueling themes for inspiration, such as comedy and tragedy, day and night or cats and dogs.
• Stuck on the Jack-o-Lantern face? Use pre-made stencils or make your own to use as guides to create the eyes, nose and mouth of your pumpkin's unique expression.
  

A little imagination and a few rolls of duct tape are all you need to make your pumpkin stick out from the rest this Halloween. Using duct tape is a fun and creative project for the whole family, resulting in a one-of-a-kind decoration that will last throughout the season.

SOURCE Duck brand

MOUNT DORA'S 25th ANNUAL CRAFTS FAIR - This year's annual two-day Craft Fair in Mount Dora, Florida promises to be one of the best ever, and certainly one of the biggest as it welcomes over 250,000 visitors who come to see, experience and purchase the special handicrafts and products produced by the nearly 400 hundred crafters who will be displaying their artistic talents and unique wares at the event. This year's craft fair will be held, once again, in the streets of Historic Downtown Mount Dora on Saturday, October 24th & Sunday, October 25th, 2009 from 9am until 5pm.

The Annual Mount Dora Craft Fair event is presented by the Mount Dora Village Merchants & Business Association (MDVMBA), a non-profit organization responsible for promoting Mount Dora. MDVMBA is happy to announce that they are "paying forward" by also promoting the efforts of other local, not-for-profit groups by inviting them to participate in the Craft Fair at no cost to their respective organizations.

These hard working non-profit groups will be set-up to fund raise and promote their respective organizations and share information about the efforts and good deeds that they perform on so many levels for their community. The groups showing (and in some cases offering and selling their wares to interested customers in order to raise money for their organizations) are: The Eustis Service League, The Mount Dora Lions Club, Lakes Cares, Friends of The Ice House Theater, Lake Dora Area Women's Club, Kiwanis Club of Mount Dora, Lake County Quilters Guild, Mount Dora Middle School, The City of Mount Dora Water Department - Water Conservation, The Mount Dora Music Festival, Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra, and Central Florida's Blood Centers' BIG RED BUS will be there on Saturday from 11am to 4pm in an attempt to break the one day blood drive record! All individual are urged to donate as Central Florida is experiencing an urgent blood shortage, so "give the gift of life - Blood!"

The 25th Annual Mount Dora Craft Fair event is presented by the Mount Dora Village Merchants & Business Association, a non-profit organization responsible for promoting Mount Dora. - SORRY, NO PETS ALLOWED during the event.

SOURCE Mount Dora Village Merchants & Business Association

If you're in one of the 62 million American households that engage in crafting projects ranging from scrapbooking to needlework to gift wrapping, there's a new creative resource on the horizon to enhance your pastime.

Hooker Furniture (NASDAQ-GS: HOFT), one of the nation's top publicly traded furniture companies, has invented a new type of furniture called a hobby cabinet that the company will introduce at the upcoming international trade show in High Point, N.C. October 17 - 22.

Offered in an upscale light or dark cherry finish and a sophisticated casual design, the hobby cabinet consists of a credenza and hutch combination that is slightly under eight feet tall. The credenza has a file drawer, cubby drawers for storing beads, stickers, buttons, threads or needles; a pull out drawer for a printer, two map-sized drawers for storing large sheets of paper and a drop down drawer and two-prong electrical outlet so a laptop computer can be used. On top of the credenza is a fold-out work surface that is about 30 inches deep and 38 inches wide that is at counter height so you can stand to work on crafts or wrap gifts. The fold-down surface even offers a pencil tray edge perfect for running scissors across to cut paper or fabric.

The hutch has doors that open to reveal eight large dowels for hanging rolls of paper or fabric, smaller dowels for organizing ribbons, cork boards for posting photos, crafting ideas, patterns and the like, along with storage shelves and drawers.

"As the passion for crafting has grown, we wanted to provide hobbyists with a special space of their own to enjoy working on their crafts and to organize all the elements that go into their projects," said Mike Spece, executive vice president of merchandising and design at Hooker Furniture.

Nearly 6 in 10 U.S. households have a crafting project going on at least once during the year, and 42 million households will craft gifts of some sort between November and December of this year alone, according to the Craft & Hobby Assn. Led by scrapbooking, craft and hobby activities have grown to become a nearly $30 billion industry. Scrapbooking alone is a $2.5 billion industry.

Why the growing passion for hobbies and crafts? Some craft for practical reasons because they can make it cheaper than they can buy it; others for the social aspect of spending time with friends and family as they knit or create scrapbooks together. Evolving from the quilting bees and sewing circles from hundreds of years ago, today there are modern crafting communities online, according to the Craft & Hobby Assn. Creating something with one's own hands enhances self esteem and even has therapeutic and medicinal value. Doctors even prescribe craft therapy, and studies show that hand-crafting leads to stress reduction.

With their hobby cabinet, Hooker Furniture hopes to enhance the stress-reduction qualities of crafting even further by providing a central station for organizing paper, glue, scissors, tape and the like so they are easy to find. The fold-out work surface also allows people to stand and work comfortably, rather than kneeling down to work on crafts spread on the floor or cluttering up the kitchen table.

The hobby cabinet will be available in retail stores early in 2010.

SOURCE Hooker Furniture

It's great to post your home-made cards with unique stamps.  The postal service has just released some for Holiday 2009!

The Postal Service started delivering the 2009 holiday season by issuing the Winter Holidays stamps yesterday and the Hanukkah and Kwanzaa stamps today at the American Stamp Dealers Association Mega Stamp Show in New York City. The 2009 Christmas: Madonna and Sleeping Child by Sassoferrato stamp will be dedicated Oct. 20, 2009, at the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA, where the original painting is located.

"We hope Americans will use these stamps to spread the joy of the Holidays on cards and letters across the nation this holiday season," said David Failor, U.S. Postal Service executive director of Stamp Services.

Winter Holidays

The Winter Holidays stamps feature a reindeer, snowman, gingerbread man and toy soldier. A merry reindeer dangles a red bulb ornament from his antler. Flurries of large flakes dust a snowman sporting a top hat, coal buttons and a carrot nose. The gingerbread man is decorated for the season with green, red and white icing. The toy soldier smiles while standing at attention. Borders of evergreens, stars, wreaths and holly add another holiday touch to the stamps.

These popular figures are seen throughout the holidays, decorating homes, schools, and stores from Thanksgiving to New Year's. They also appear in gift wrap designs and are the subjects of several favorite songs and stories. As stamp art, they will add a festive touch to letters and cards sent to friends and family.

This is the first Postal Service stamp project for artist Joseph Cudd. His company, Brushworks Studio, in Greensboro, NC, is primarily a gift wrap and print design firm. To create these stamps under the direction of Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, AZ, Cudd first sketched the designs by hand and then finished them on the computer using a graphics tablet. More than 1.5 billion 44-cent First-Class stamps are available in booklets of 20 and ATM booklets of 18.

Hanukkah

The new 2009 Hanukkah design features a photograph of a menorah with nine lit candles. The menorah was designed by Lisa Regan of the Garden Deva Sculpture Company in Tulsa, OK, and photographed by Ira Wexler of Braddock Heights, MD. Carl T. Herrman of North Las Vegas, NV, was the art director. All 35 million 44 cent First-Class stamps, available in sheets of 20, go on sale tomorrow.

The 2009 Hanukkah stamp is the third U.S. issuance to commemorate the holiday. The Postal Service issued its first Hanukkah stamp, which featured a stylized illustration of a menorah, in 1996. A design featuring an ornate dreidel followed in 2004.

Kwanzaa

The U.S. Postal Service celebrates Kwanzaa, a non-religious holiday that takes place over seven days from December 26 to January 1. Kwanzaa draws on African traditions and takes its name from the phrase for "first fruits" in Swahili, a widely spoken African language. Stamp artist Lloyd McNeill of New York City, under the direction of Carl T. Herrman, created this new, festive, highly symbolic design to celebrate the holiday.

The bold colors in the stamp art are complemented in the top right corner by the colors of the Kwanzaa flag -- green for growth, red for blood and black for the African people -- which are the same colors as the Pan-African flag. The field of green around the borders symbolizes growth and a bountiful harvest. In the hoop that the girl holds in her hands, as well as in the family grouping of mother, father and child, McNeill symbolized unity. This is the third stamp design issued by the U.S. Postal Service in celebration of Kwanzaa. The first Kwanzaa commemorative stamp was issued in 1997. Thirty million 44-cent First-Class stamps, available in sheets of 20, go on sale tomorrow.

First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store Web site at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others, and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

(Winter Holidays) (Hanukkah) (Kwanzaa) Stamp(s)

Postmaster

421 Eighth Ave., Rm. 2029B

New York, NY 10199-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by Dec. 9, 2009, for the Winter Holidays stamps and Dec. 10, 2009, for the Hanukkah and Kwanzaa stamps.

First-Day Covers

Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first-day-covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog.

Philatelic Products

Winter Holidays stamps:

• 573763, ATM Booklet First-Day Cover Set of 4, $3.28.
• 678563, Booklet First-Day Cover Set of 4, $3.28.
• 678568, Booklet Digital Color Postmark Set of 4, $6.
• 678591, Ceremony Program w/4 stamps, $6.95.
• 678599, Cancellation Keepsake (4 Digital Color Postmark covers with sheet), $14.80.

Hanukkah stamp:

• 573561, First-Day Cover, $0.82.
• 573591, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
• 573593, Cancellation Keepsake (First-Day Cover w/pane), $9.62.

Kwanzaa stamp:

• 573461, First-Day Cover, $0.82.
• 573491, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
• 573493, Cancellation Keepsake (w/pane), $9.62.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service

Following the successful launch of the Craft & Hobby Association's (CHA's) Craft SuperShow consumer event in Orlando, Florida this past summer, CHA is pleased to announce the next venue for the Craft SuperShow will be the Anaheim Convention Center, January 22 - 23, 2010. The Craft SuperShow is scheduled immediately preceding the 69th Annual CHA Winter Convention & Trade Show in California.

The Craft SuperShow was designed to introduce people to new crafts by providing a venue where crafters are exposed to all different types of crafts. The objective is to provide cross-promotional opportunities for crafters where knitters can get hooked on scrapbooking, scrapbookers can try quilting, quilters can experiment with beading, and so on. The formula works as demonstrated through Orlando SuperShow attendees who reported 63 percent tried a new craft at the SuperShow and 85 percent were planning a purchase relative to trying a new craft.

While most craft shows focus on one or two segments of crafts, the Craft SuperShow educates and inspires crafters with a broad range of craft projects. The SuperShow has demonstrated consumers want more crafts, not only from scrapbooking companies, but from across all sectors of the craft and hobby industry. From knitting to scrapbooking and art materials, this Show gives people an opportunity to learn, create and buy. Thousands of craft enthusiasts will be able to buy the hottest craft products and projects, take professional-grade workshops from craft industry experts, witness and participate in product demonstrations from leading manufacturers, meet celebrity crafters, and enjoy the family-friendly activities that cross generations.

CHA anticipates even greater attendance and wider support from consumers and craft companies due to its location in the greater Los Angeles area. Approximately 10,000 - 12,000 attendees are expected at the Craft SuperShow in Anaheim. SuperShow exhibitors will be comprised of CHA members and other businesses from the manufacturer, retailer, designer, professional crafter and publisher sectors of the craft and hobby industry.

"CHA looks forward to introducing another successful Craft SuperShow in Anaheim," explained Steve Berger, CHA President & CEO. "Based on our success in Orlando, we know we can provide crafters not only with the products and crafts they want, but by introducing crafters to a new, broad range of crafts we have an opportunity to incrementally grow the entire craft and hobby industry."

SuperShow Hours:

January 22 - Noon - 8:00 PM (PST).

January 23 - 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (PST).

Admission:

$20 for 2-days/$15 for 1-day

Kids under 10 free with paying adult

ABOUT CHA

The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) is a not-for-profit organization consisting of thousands of member companies engaged in the manufacture, distribution and retail sales of products in the nearly $30 billion U.S. craft and hobby industry. See www.craftsupershow.com for more information.

SOURCE Craft & Hobby Association (CHA)

'Crafts at Rhinebeck' features children's activities, a petting zoo, select hand-made crafts all against the backdrop of the spectacular Fall foliage of upstate New York.  October 3 and 4 at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds.

Background: The year was 1972. It was yet another time of unrest in our nation. A band of young artists had an idea that had shown great promise in the mountains of Vermont. Outfitted in their tye-dye T-shirts and jeans, they traveled from Mt. Snow and Stowe, Vermont to the fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY. They were pursuing a venue with a potentially larger audience for their new creation, an arts and crafts fair. Unfortunately, a very skeptical fair manager informed them that he had no intention of turning his beautiful fairgrounds over "to a bunch of pot smoking hippies!" Because they had traveled a distance to get there, the manager told them that they could come back and make their "pitch" to the Ag. Society for a more favorable response, if they wished. The young artists returned later minus the tye-dyes, minus the aroma of musk and incense, and now outfitted in their Sunday best. The Society members listened to their plea and responded affirmatively. Thus, the American Crafts Council brought their first event to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. That inaugural show was open to artists from thirteen east coast states. The ACC remained on the fairgrounds through 1983 before moving to the East Coast States Exposition grounds in West Springfield, Massachusetts. In June of 1984, Crafts at Rhinebeck was born and has remained the premier arts and crafts show in the Northeast to this day.

The June Crafts at Rhinebeck is a "high end," contemporary show. The fall show has more of the flavor of a family festival. While many of the same artists participate, with a petting zoo, hay rides, and plenty of pumpkins, the fall show is produced with the family in mind. Both shows are juried and attract some of the finest artists from around the world.