Announcing Spectrum Noir Markers & Some Changes!

“Why do you go away?  So that you can come back.  So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors.  And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” ― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

I love coming back from CHA.  It’s like my crafty New Year!  I always come back recharged after seeing my crafty friends and excited about the new products and trends.  It’s also a great time for me to re-evaluate the store, the products and how things are running.  I’m going into my fifth year this year and I’m incredibly proud and filled with joy about that.  It’s work, very hard at times, but it’s where my {heart} is.

One of my biggest product announcements is here!  I am thrilled to announce that IHP will now be carrying Spectrum Noir markers.  These high quality alcohol markers have taken the crafting world by storm due to their affordable price (less than $2 a marker!) and their incredible quality.  One of the things I love about these markers is that they come packaged as basic color families, in sets of six, for perfect blending right out of the package.  There’s no worrying about whether the colors you’re selecting will blend perfectly.  It takes the guesswork out of it.

The core set of 72 pens is available in 12 sets of 6, allowing you to purchase specific color families or all at once.  These 72 colors will fit the needs of most crafters, stampers, scrapbookers and basic art projects.  For more versatility and blending options there are four supplemental sets of 24 pens that come in a re-usable plastic box.  These are available in lights, darks, brights, and pastels to complement the core line of 72 pens for a total of 168 colors.

Pen colors are not duplicated in any of the sets and both the chisel and bullet nibs are replaceable and they are refillable.  (Brush nibs are coming soon and will be available by mid-2013 but I love having the bullet tip for coloring small areas.)  Your blender pen, black and basics are included in the Essentials pack and light skin tones are in the Pale Hues set.  As with other alcohol blender pens, it is not normally used for blending but more often used for correcting, special effects or advanced techniques.

Spectrum Noir Alcohol pens should be stored horizontally so that there is an even distribution of ink throughout the pen chamber but if you forget, usually just laying it on its side for about 30 minutes will balance things out again.  As far as the numbering system goes, it's pretty intuitive - the lower the color number the lighter the color (and the more alcohol in the ink), the higher the number the darker or more intense the color will be.

They also have amazing smooth cardstock (available for $7 for a pack of 20 sheets) which stamps well with Tsukineko Memento Ink.  I will be adding refills and nibs in the future but wanted to get these markers to you as soon as possible!

Want to see these markers in action? Be sure to check the video gallery.

I know you're asking, "What about my Copics?"  Fear not!  Any Copics you have can be used in conjunction with these or whatever alcohol markers you have.  What will change is that IHP will no longer be stocking Copics.

I've actually been on the hunt for a Copic replacement for over a year, since the 2012 price increase.  I looked at several companies last year at CHA and again this year and I'm confident that Spectrum Noir is the best option in quality and affordability for my customers.  Plus, their customer service (something you KNOW I value) is bar none.  They may be a huge, international company with several product lines and still growing but I’ve had nothing but the best experience so far and have read numerous customer reviews that substantiate that.  I’m so happy to be working with a company that values their retailers and is willing to work with them and that is open to suggestions and feedback.

So, what does this mean for IHP and Copic?  It means that whatever Copic inventory we have in stock is all we will have.   January 1, 2013 there was yet another price increase from Copic, bringing the MSRP to $8 a marker and raising my wholesale price as well.  I know that *I* wouldn't pay $8 for a marker so I can't in good faith expect my customers to.  And while IHP has NEVER charged MSRP for Copics and we've always abided by their strict pricing policies, we can't continue to absorb the continued price increases to keep the price low enough to be affordable to you.  I know several of you will be disappointed by this news and I apologize but I strive to offer the best products that are affordable for your average crafter so that your dollars go farther.  And with these markers, you can get the same quality for a less than a quarter of the price of one Copic.  In my book, that can’t be beat.

We were also just notified that USPS rates will be increasing effective 1/27 for most mail classes (first class, Priority and package rates are the ones that impact us the most).   Over the past year there have been 2 smaller increases to package rates, which we’ve absorbed without raising our minimum for free shipping threshold or our shipping rates.  Unfortunately we can’t absorb this increase.  Effective 1/27 there will be a new shipping policy in place, with the new free shipping threshold being $70 (applies to US orders only, including HI, AK and APO).

But, there are three GOOD things about this.  First, our lowest tier of shipping for “stamps, ribbon and Bow Easy only” has been lowered to $3 for orders under $25.  If you just want some stamps and some ribbon, you’ll be paying less than before.  Second, there have been NO increases to Canadian or International shipping since those rates weren’t impacted largely by the increase. And lastly, even with the change, IHP still offers one of the lowest free shipping thresholds in the industry, with NO restrictions like many other retailers have.

Some of our top competitors don’t offer free shipping until you reach $75 or $100 or even $150 and those are with restrictions on what “qualifies” for free shipping!  But at IHP, we make it easy.  No gimmicks…no fine print.  You can order all your stamps, papers, dies, whatever we stock and it’ll still be free if you order reaches the threshold.  And hopefully the speedy, friendly and reliable service you’ve come to know and love will keep you coming back, even with these changes. We still feel confident that we’re competitive and offer service that is unmatched by any of our competitors.  An updated shipping chart will be posted soon on the policies page.

So, there’s lots of change - I know.  Change is scary and not always welcome but it’s also necessary for growth and survival.  There’s more to come too.  February will bring a new DT member, as well as a new guest (and I’m SO excited about BOTH of them!) and lots and lots of new CHA products and product lines.

Thank you for your continued friendships, your loyalty, your referrals and recommendations and your patronage. I wouldn’t be here without you!

Make sure you check in on our Facebook page, too!  We will be updating it frequently, with new arrivals from CHA!