Hello, Ginger!!!

Bean Up The Nose Art is happy and lucky to introduce you to terrific Ginger McCleskey, of Queen of Hearts Cards, Etc. . . . she's our new sales rep here in Northern California!!!

(Photo courtesy Ginger and Queen of Hearts Cards, Etc. Facebook page.)

Ginger has been a sales rep for greeting card and gift sales for 25 years. Wow! We admire all the knowledge, skills and get-up-and-go this represents. Let's find out more about her, shall we?!?!

What is the job like?

I spend approximately 75% of my time on "road sales," and 25% of my time is office work. Most of my time on the road is on day trips, and I usually travel after the morning commute, and return home before the evening commute. For those trips to farther destinations within my territory (such as trips to the Monterey Bay or to Mendocino County), I usually plan overnight trips. My territory extends from Fort Brag, in Mendocino County, south to Big Sur, in Monterey County.

I call on independent stores, and some locally-owned chains, such as Books, Inc. The types of stores I call on include book stores, gift stores, boutiques, galleries and restaurants.

I am largely my own boss -- occasionally, a vendor will contact me with a lead or make suggestions about how they would like me to expand business for them, but ultimately, every decision about which lines I represent, which stores I will call on, and how I spend my work-related time and energy is up to me. Fortunately for the artists and manufacturers I work with, I have a strong work ethic, and am self-motivated and self-disciplined!

About how many lines do you carry?

I am currently working with about 50 manufacturers, so I am quite full up on lines right now. I am not looking for more lines, but I am usually willing to consider looking at a new line. Having said that, I am many months behind responding to artists who have contacted me looking for representation.

(Here's Ginger with one of the artists/lines she found at the National Stationery Store last year . . . "Just Eleanor." Photo courtesy Queen Of Hearts Cards, Etc. Facebook page.)

Do you sell other items, too?

Yes! Many of my card lines offer related gifts such as journals (or notebooks), boxed cards (including invitations and announcements), magnets and prints; some offer less-common items, ranging from luggage tags, soaps, baby onesies, t-shirts, rubber stamps and coloring books, to pendants, tea towels, decorative pillows, limited-edition prints, and hand-carved birds. In addition, I represent a few gift lines, including a handmade paper line, a candle line, a line of oilcloth bags, and a line of cardholders, passport covers, wallets, etc.

What are your favorite, and least favorite, parts of the job?

I am a people person, and a problem-solver. I enjoy most aspects of what I do, especially anything around working with customers and/or providing vendors with the information they need to make their lines better. One important point: I am not really much of a sales person. What I feel I provide is service -- I find great card and gift lines, and bring them to my stores, who try them and hopefully sell them. For me, it's all about helping other small businesses. What works for my stores will benefit my vendors, in the form of re-orders, and will ultimately benefit me! So far, this seems to be working . . . .

Judging by the stack of files and papers on my desk, I would have to admit that my least favorite part of the job seems to be filing . . . . [Bean Up The Nose Art note: we feel you, sister!]

When you're not working, what else do you like to do?

I do work long hours, but in my limited spare time, I dance (mostly West Coast Swing, which is a contemporary sort of swing dance), and enjoy walking around this beautiful area in which I live. I'm going to be doing more blogging soon, too! Working on a website and blog now . . . .

You can find out more about Ginger at that site. Click here :)

We are happy and grateful to have Ginger representing us here at Bean Up The Nose Art. Her spirit suits us to a "T." We love her kindness, humor, savvy, independence, creativity and connectivity. Thanks a bunch for being our rep, Ginger!!! YOU RULE!!!

Missing The Grey Kitty

Some days are way, way harder than others.

This was one of those days.

We've written here about animal love. And here about The Black Kitty's passing last fall.

Today, we lost The Grey Kitty.

Selfishly, what I miss is her being on the planet with me.

Forget about the grown-ups and grown kids. Forget about the 70 lb Rottweiller/Golden Retriever mix of a mess that is Gracie the Dog. Forget about big bruiser Black Kitty, may she now rest in peace. It was seven-pound Grey Kitty who was the alpha animal in the house.

She let you know who was boss. Of herself, and of you.

With a well-timed, "MeeeeeeEEEEOW!" for breakfast, dinner, or a rub when she felt like it. With a swift turn of her butt to you when she didn't . . . and then hours of disdainful ignoring your silly existence when she wanted to sleep under the bed alone. With a swipe of her paw toward the dog's nose when the dog got too enthusiastic about wanting to play. With a PLOP right into your lap while you needed to work at the computer, but she needed to be petted and purr at you. (Note: no other cat ever purred as loudly as The Grey Kitty. She sounded like a motor boat. You could hear her from across the room.)

Not having The Grey Kitty pacing back and forth through the house letting you know what you should be doing to make her life better . . . . that sucks. We're only about seven hours into this absence, and I already miss my boss.

Maybe it's because I'm a Leo, and I need another cat to help me out . . . and for the first time in almost 20 years, there's no other cat in the house. Maybe it's also because of the February timing: lost my mom 27 years ago, almost to the day . . . on an identical weird-assed February day clear and blue and and warm as a day in May. Whatever the reason, this loss feels harder to be philosophical about that lots of others. It's just sad. It's just pure and simple bereavement. Because she was a very awesomely wonderful cat. Even though she was -- or, maybe because she was -- quite a beeotch along the way. The Grey Kitty was 1,000% always, undoubtedly, her own bad-assed self.

All right. Time to pull it together and get philosophical. I am quite certain you'd want me to buck up, Grey Kitty, and be just as much of a bad-ass as you always were. And I'm very certain you are now the boss of very many other animals, with your lungs and bladder and kidneys intact and raring to go. Rock on, Grey Kitty!

And I'll be taking a page from your book -- doing my own version of sleeping under the bed. Taking a week off (under the bed) from blog posting, and from tweeting. Wise cats know when it's time to hide out, lick their wounds, and heal. Thank you for all the love and teaching, Grey Kitty. Be well.

Vision Book Workshop with Marilyn LoRusso

Yeehaw!!! In celebration of Bean Up The New Art's new studio space -- ultra-conducive to fun, visiting, learning, creating, all things art-ing -- we're trying something new: hosting a class that will be taught by another local artist.

Voila!

On Saturday, March 10, wonderful Marilyn LoRusso (who you might know on Twitter as @fun_master) will be teaching a Vision Book Workshop.

And here are all the deets, straight from Marilyn herself:

"Join me for a FUN art workshop where you will begin to create a Vision Book using the altered book collage method. A Vision Book is like a Vision Board, only in a book! This way you can carry it around or move it from room to room easily in order to gaze upon its pages and enjoy its images and messages. You can include anything in your Vision Book . . . images and messages that make you feel good and inspire you, places you would like to visit, activities you want to try . . . anything! Your imagination is unlimited."

"I will provide instruction on how to prep your book, different collage methods, and tips on how to make it beautiful. You will leave with two-to-three pages completed, and ideas to continue your creative and fun Vision Book journey."

"I will provide all the materials you need, such as:

* Books

* Magazines

* Beautiful papers and ribbons

* Rubber stamps and stamp pads

* Feathers

* Glitter glue

* Colorful sparkly gems

* Markers/oil pastels

* Glue sticks

* Scissors

There will also be complimentary tea and cookies to munch on as we create! You are welcome to bring some of your favorite images and old magazines.

And the fabulous mixed media collage artist, Tamara Holland, will be on hand to add to the FUN!" [Aww. Thanks for that, Marilyn!]

And here's Marilyn's bio:

"Marilyn LoRusso is the CFO (Chief FUN Officer) at FUNitude HeartQuarters. She believes it's all about your FUNitude and raising your FQ (FUNtelligence Quotient). For Marilyn it is all about feeling inspired and focusing on the best in any situation . . . feeling good, no matter what. Life is supposed to be FUN. When you add a sense of FUN to any situation, it transforms the experience for you and everyone around you!"

"She writes the column "For the LOVE of Kids" for The Patch on-line news site and has published a series of e-books entitled, "Celebrating Children: Conversations With Kids." She has been an arts and crafter her entire life, has taught art classes to children and now wants to spread fun, joy and art to children of all ages."

"Marilyn has a B.S. from Northwestern University, and M.S. from Columbia University, and an F.S. (FUNMaster of Science from Life University. She is currently working on her Doctorates in FUNology from Eternity University."

To learn more about Marilyn, visit her website: funitude.net.

Marilyn's Vision Book Workshop will be at Bean Up The Nose Art's studio space at 2 Florence Ave., in San Anselmo. Saturday, March 10, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Cost: $35.00 per person. Class is limited to six lucky folks. To reserve your space, e-mail Marilyn at marilynlorusso@sbcglobal.net.

We hope you can come and play :)