It’s all NEW!

I am so excited today to be able to announce all of our new products for summer 2009 show season!
Yesterday, we had the photographer in to take the photos and they are really looking good! It is always an exciting time when we get to launch new products. We generally start the new product planning about 2-3 months before we plan to launch the products. Usually Stephen and I talk about what we would like to introduce, we think about comments we have received from customers and sales reps and then we start getting creative!
Here is what you will be seeing the summer at the shows…

NEW Tree of Enchantment
Tree of Christmas and Tree of Blessings
This is available in the 2 “, 6” and 10” sizes

Crosses – 6 beautiful 2 toned crosses perfect to uplift and inspire

“One Sip” Hummingbird Feeder – A smaller one feeding spout feeder that is available in 6 different colors

Mini Angels – Delicate angels that will be cherished year after year, each with their own story:
Memories, Protection, Blessings, Peace, Joy and Wishes

Holiday Ornament 3 Pack- This pack has 3 clear ornaments – each tied with a red ribbon, a great holiday ornament that will get a special place on the tree.

I will be posting the professional photos as soon as I get them, which the photographer has told me will be Friday! I am going to be in Dallas Wednesday – Friday at the gift show working with our great sales reps – Tim Gaskin and Associates. If you are in the area be sure to come by and check out the new products in person- Dallas Trade Mart 2535.

I will try and post something from the show!

Sophie
PS* The picture I have posted is of our new Table Top Display Stand… I love how it looks with mini trees!

For The Birds!

As some of you know we added a new Bird Bath to our line earlier this year. Well, I now have photo graphic proof that the birds really dig it! As you can see from this photo of a mourning dove, just relaxing in the bath after a long day of eating seeds and general birding! The birds who were visiting the bath seemed to like not only flapping around in the bath, but also drinking as well. The bath is shallow, so it is easy for them to access.
Another feature is that you can lift the plate off to wipe it off or rinse it with the hose, which this owner really seemed to like. Apparently her last bird bath was a bit cumbersome to clean out.
The Bird Bath is made with clear, recycled glass and is available in 8 different motifs. So far it has been a popular choice for our Garden Centers and Garden Areas in our gift shops!

New Product News Tomorrow!

Sophie

It Starts! Trade Shows...

Well… I was off to a good start, but then flat on my face! Sorry for the delay in posting. We have been very busy here at Kitras, mostly deciding on what our new products will be for the summer shows, getting booths ready. There is a lot to do. Sarah Antonio, is our fearless trade show coordinator and she had been busy getting the product ready, finding flights (we have got some great deals!) and now staging all of the booths that we send. We are participating in many shows this summer and we are getting excited.

If you have never participating in a trade show before they are a lot of work, and that is not just work before. It is work before, during and after! Our trade show season is about two times a year. The first on is at the beginning of the year usually running January until March then the second wave of trade show madness begins end of June until Mid September. I don’t know why but the summer shows seems to be so much longer than the winter ones. It is roughly the same about of shows give or take one, but for me the summer shows just seem to drag on and on! Nevertheless we spend a good month before the shows start planning, talking about products, arranging booth spaces. Then building the booths, staging them and putting the final touches on new products… This is the stage we are at now. We just finished our booth and Sarah has picked the products and I have drawn the layout… we will start staging tomorrow!

I will be at almost every show, so I am looking forward to seeing everyone and showing off our great new products… but more about those later!

Sophie

Going to the Birds

With Mother’s Day this weekend, many people will be giving garden related gifts, one of the most popular of those garden gifts are hummingbird feeders. Hummingbird feeders come in all shapes and sizes and in many different colors. At Kitras we have 3 different styles and lots of colors to choose from. We have Top Feeders that feed 3 birds, Funky Flowers that either hang or can be placed in a stake, down spout feeders for a traditional look and our newest heart feeder, that feeds 2 birds.
So… that leads me to the question… If you have feeders, how do you get them into your garden to feed? As a newbie gardener and birder, I went to my local greenhouse to look for some tip on creating a hummingbird garden. They suggested any sweet scented flowers, their top picks were; Honeysuckle, Trumpet Vine, Columbine and Beebalm. They also suggested that by putting out a hummingbird feeder it will attract them as it supplements the already natural occurring food chain you create with the flowers. Wow, this was some great information.
In Canada, we only have a very short time with our hummingbirds, mid April to end of May and then potentially a few here and there for the rest of the summer. In other parts of North America it is not uncommon for hummingbirds to be seen from March to May and then again in late July to September. I guess I am a bit late with my hummingbird garden here in Southern Ontario! I will just have to put out my feeder and hope for the best. At least my feeder is a work of art and will look pretty all summer long!

I hope that you all have a beautiful Mother’s Day weekend!

Sophie

Medallion Sun Catchers

Our Hand Pressed Medallion Sun Catchers are an item that doesn’t get a lot of attention. They are the forgotten middle child of the Kitras Art Glass product line. But… everybody has a time to shine and now is definitely their time!

We have two different sizes of medallions a 3” size and 6” size. They most popular size is the 3” and the price is just right at under $10 Retail! We have 84 different designs ranging from birds, flowers, new age symbol and nautical themed designs. There is sure to be something for everyone. Our medallions are hand pressed with 100% recycled glass and we are very excited to be offering a special for the month of May and June that will allow our retail store to have 17% off the regular price when they order 48! WOW that is a great deal and a great way to try them out in your store. Please call us at 1-800-439-6393 to place an order, get a catalog or find out who your sales reps is!

Here are my ideas on how you could use a Medallion Sun Catcher
- Hang it in a sunny window ( Yes, I know a no brainer, but still worth putting down)
- Tie a ribbon around it and use it as a way to accent or dress up a bottle of wine you are giving
- Use it as a way to decorate the top of a present
- They make excellent ties on the ends of pull down blinds

Please add your ideas down below… I look forward to reading them

Sophie

Welcome

Here we are taking a new and brave step into technology!I am sure that some of you are groaning... "it's about time!" But I am sure that some of you are right there with us trying to understand and fumble through learning this new technology and how it can enhance your business goals.
We hope to accomplish a lot with this little blog. We hope that it will give our customers a chance to connect with one another, to see specials as they happen and to see new product right away. But our most important goal with this blog is to be able to connect to you, our customers with practical help to grow your independent business; with marketing ideas, merchandising solutions and anything else that we happen to think might work.
This is my first post as a blogger and so far it has been a pretty painless experience. I am already looking forward to writing one tomorrow. I hope that you will enjoy reading it as well!

Sophie