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HoofPrints Newsletter
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September 30, 2012
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ABOUT THE COMPANY AND THIS NEWSLETTERFarriers Greeting Cards was started by Gina Keesling in 1986 (in a very small way) to provide helpful promotional materials for farrier husband Rob. Along the way we became HoofPrints.com, too, adding a selection of fun horse and dog products geared toward women of a certain age. This newsletter is emailed to subscribers a few times a month, depending on how often I have something to share. Watch for special sales, interesting stories, uplifting quotes and more.
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NEW!
Framed inspirational verse
Don't Sell Your Saddle
Don't give up on dreams.
Take time to see 'em through.
There are no easy trails.
Hard work makes dreams come true.
You'll make it through tough times.
Friends will stick like glue.
Don't ever sell your saddle,
Dreams won't give up on you.
This unique picture and verse by Don Bishop is laser engraved on leather and framed in aromatic red cedar by a real lumber mill in Yukon, Oklahoma. It measures 10"x10" overall. To order click here
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KEEP CALM AND RIDE ON...This inspiring (and oh, so wise) phrase inspired by the forgotten British wartime poster, discovered in a second-hand bookshop in 2000 - it said KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON. Keep Calm and Carry On was a poster produced by the British government in 1939 during the beginning of World War II, intended to raise the morale of the British public in the event of invasion. Seeing only limited distribution, it was little known. The poster was rediscovered in 2000 and has been re-issued by a number of private sector companies, and used as the decorative theme for a range of other products. There are only two known surviving examples of the poster outside government archives. More at Wikipedia here. Shown here is our new glass domed necklace Keep Calm and Ride On. These have a lovely vintage feel to them, the gunmetal chain and findings are reminiscent of something you'd find tucked in the back of an antique dresser drawer. The best part is the PRICE, though, these are only $14.95! These will make great stocking stuffers for everyone horsey on your list. To order click here. We got a kick (pardon the pun) out of the sweatshirt version ( Keep Calm and Hang On) depicting a rider doing all she can to (calmly) stay on this bucking horse. Will be a great addition to your fall riding wardrobe. To order click here.
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Another sneak peek from HORSES AND HOPE Calendar for 2013 Last time , I told you Sarah & I were hard at work on the calendar and gave you 3 tidbits of cinderella stories that we planned to include.
One was Tristan's, the huge ex-Amish Belgian was presented at the sale in thin condition, with bad leg and a cancerous eye. Horse Rescue United purchased him for just $35. to save him the suffering of a long ride to Canada to slaughter. The intent was to make him comfortable until his days were up, which looked to be soon as the cancer in his eye had spread to the rest of his head. The vet removed his bad eye and they hoped for the best. Tristan surprised them all - he bounced back quickly, gained weight and now looks fabulous. He's surpassed his expected lifespan by many months and is still going strong. The shots Sarah took of him at a recent photo shoot portray an athletic, vibrant charger - not the sick, worn out plow horse of his past. Look at him now! Because of his terminal condition, he's a permanent resident of the rescue. Here's what founder Anouk Busch says about him:
"I had no clue what I had gotten myself into, but it's the best buy we ever made. He has shown so much love, resilience and pleasure in life; he touches everybody with his presence. Particularly cancer and depression patients bond with him and see him as an example of how to take each day as it comes."
We are taking prepaid orders for the calendar. Reserve your copy now for mid-October delivery. ***note*** We will be charging credit cards immediately when orders are placed. Meaning you are pre-paying now for something that will ship in the future. At this point we do not have an exact ship date. Thanks for understanding. If you prefer NOT to pre-pay, you can watch our email newsletter and we will keep you informed on the progress of the calendar so you can submit your order once they are in stock. Prepaid orders will ship first.
You can see the January 2013 calendar page, and reserve your copy here.
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The catalog that almost wasn't...
Every summer starts off with the same fantasy...
It takes a LONG time to put one of these together. I start in the summer - when everyone else is doing vacation stuff and having fun. I am analyzing sales numbers, reviewing submissions, making prototypes, scheduling photo shoots...
...then there's the layout; Imagine having a 48 room house. Go in every room and take away some of the furnishings. Then go shop for new stuff - beautiful new stuff that no one has ever seen before, but that you're sure they will love - AND will make sense with the stuff that you already have. Then figure out how to arrange it all in a way that is useful, sensible, and visually appealing. That's kind of how catalog layout goes. Except I have to keep in mind the tastes of thousands of viewers - people that I've never met (most of them, anyway) Whew! It's a big job.
This is where the fantasy always creeps in... That little voice at the back of my mind keeps saying; "This project is just too huge. You're running out of time. There is no way you can pull this off, no further along than you are right now. Just slap a new cover on there, and reprint the catalog as it stands. No one will even know the difference."
I play games with myself. I try to spend time working on ideas I am really excited about, hoping inspiration will come for the ones that I am not excited about. I read everyone's positive comments in order to buoy my spirits... but I am tired. Things happen that distract me from my work (one year a blamed Zack, our German Shepherd who got into an altercation with the mail lady's truck and was terribly injured and required weeks of nursing- this time it was a happier event - son Jordan's graduation, reception here on the farm and subsequent move to college)
Then my husband starts to join in the fantasy... "Can't you just change the cover and reprint the thing like it is now? It sure would save a lot of work." (duh!)
But all the wonderful ideas and products that I couldn't wait to unveil to my customers for the holidays would have had to languish in their folders for a whole 'nother year! I just couldn't bear the idea of NOT doing a new catalog.
This year is the latest that I've ever started work in earnest. And finally, it's finished. Big thanks are in order to my family - for being patient through my struggles and occasional tearful meltdowns, my employees - for asking me about 900 times how I was coming with the new product creation and catalog layout and my printing company - who's sales manager and customer service rep who stay in touch with me all summer regarding "the printing schedule" which involves somehow fitting it in whenever I got the layout done AND getting it printed and mailed FAST. (this is a large printing company - and the extra effort they make on my small job is a testament to their amazing customer service)
If you'd like to receive a copy of this catalog that almost wasn't, please go here and send us your info. If you've ordered recently, we've probably got you in the computer already, but if anything about your address or contact info has changed, please let us know so that we can update our database.
Cross your fingers, and watch your mailbox! :-)
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Protect This Dog
Pewter Medallions for Dogs
Hand cast in USA lead-free pewter by Sweet Bird Studio. Turquoise resin bead accent. Comes with S-hook to attach to collar. Comes in two sizes - Large is 1" wide, Small is 3/4" wide.
To order click here
We've also got the equine versions: Protect this Horse & Protect this Rider. Those are sold here
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Epona was the Celtic goddess of Horses
and here she is molded into this 1" tall pendant. It hangs on an adjustable (18" to 26"), knotted waxed cotton cord. We are closing out the cheaper alloy version ($19.95) and replacing with sterling silver ($29.95). You can choose Pink or Brown Cord on both, to order click here.
Here's what Wikipedia says about Epona: "In Gallo-Roman religion, Epona was a protector of horses, donkeys, and mules. She was particularly a goddess of fertility, as shown by her attributes of a patera, cornucopia, ears of grain and the presence of foals in some sculptures suggested that the goddess and her horses were leaders of the soul in the after-life ride, with parallels in Rhiannon of the Mabinogion."
Epona is celebrated in Michigan each year;
"On Mackinac Island, Michigan, Epona is celebrated each June with stable tours, a blessing of the animals and the Epona and Barkus Parade. Mackinac Island, Michigan does not permit any personal automobiles: the primary source of transportation remains the horse, so celebrating Epona has special significance on this island in the Upper Midwest."
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RECAP from the last newsletter
Here's what we talked about last time:
Horse Savvy Day Planner for 2013 here
Sterling Silver Shod Hoof Ring here
2013 Farrier Organizer IN STOCK here
New Horsewomen Sculptures here
I Make Horse Calls Books set here
Cowgirl Bible Pocket Partners here
Healing Shine Book & Audio CDs here
Equine Podiatry Book on closeout here
Anatomy books on closeout here
PAST NEWSLETTERS - see what you missed!
To catch up on the news, click here
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WHAT'S NEW?
Suede Trapper Hat
See all our horsewomens headwear here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
Wood Blacksmith Sign
See this and all our signs here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
Breyer Pink Stablemate
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WHAT'S NEW?
Hold Your Horses T
See our T-shirt selection here! |
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WHAT'S NEW?
~ for Horsewomen ~
Horsewoman's Long Tall List of Things to Do here
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WHAT'S NEW?
Horse Coaster Set
Wood Framed Ceramic Horse Sense Coasters here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
A Dog's Journey
Sequel to best-seller A Dog's Purpose here |
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WHAT'S NEW?
Spiritual Book
Desiderata for Horse Lovers makes a great gift! order here |
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WHAT'S NEW!
Underwater Dogs
Order your 2013 calendar here |
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FREE with every order
Inspirational Bookmark
Features inspirational verses & photo of author Tom Moates. See it here |
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Message
We LOVE hearing from our customers. You can contact HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling via email at gina@hoofprints.com |
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Find us on facebook
Be sure to LIKE our facebook page - it's where we announce special sales, breaking news and everything else we find interesting. To see it go here |
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Our Current Catalog
Request your copy of HoofPrints Fall Holiday Edition Catalog by clicking here |
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Share our emails
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Viral marketing... it sounds bad, doesn't it?
You can ask my husband - a frequent topic around here is that of forwarded emails - and the psychology behind them - just WHAT prompts people to decide; "I am going to send this to everyone I know!".
We receive a lot of them. Some are pretty good, and others are dumb. Dumb in a myriad of ways... Alarmist email rumors that have been around forever - that folks keep sending "just in case it's true" Pictures of someone's butt (or worse) - don't even get me started about the firecracker butt - but at least that one was timely when it showed up around July 4. Christian messages that are uplifting - until you get to the end and you're threatened "if you're not ashamed that you love Jesus, forward this - if you are, then delete." Pictures of cute puppies and kittens (awww)
I enjoy writing these newsletters - and sharing all this stuff with you all. But the fact is, it's also a way to help us stay connected with customers and sell products during the time between catalog mailings (which is only once a year) So I really, really like it when someone new stumbles upon the newsletter and is excited to "discover" our company and the products we offer.
In all my efforts to make the newsletter interesting and forward-worthy - it never occurred to me to JUST ASK you all to send it! Duh. Sometimes the obvious is elusive, I guess. So here goes - my request to ask you to forward our email newsletter to your horsey friends. All we ask is that you please be judicious and only send to folks who might be interested. Otherwise we are no better than the "firecracker butt". Click to get started. (please note - using this form does NOT subscribe anyone to our list - it is a one-time only forward)
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