November 30, 2020 by Gina Keesling |
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Stories for Cyber Monday
Behind the scenes trivia about popular products
All of HoofPrints Christmas cards are designed by me, a few are my own art, but many utilize art and photographs of others; those folks earn royalties off the sales.
So, instead of offering discount prices to entice you all to buy, I'd like to share some of my favorite cards that come from talented artists and photographers, and encourage you to support them also with your shopping dollars. ~G
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Just A Little Donkey is one of HoofPrints all time best selling cards. Folks never tire of it, and I think the reason has something to do with these words:
"I gladly carried Mary through the chaos of the crowd."
Only someone who's worked with equines would know to note how significant it is that the donkey carried a tired and very pregnant Mary safely through what must have been a very scary situation.
This is the third iteration of this card, the first two were created by a Christian card company. They discontinued their card line and graciously transferred copyright for the verse back to it's author. And then gave me her contact info so I could arrange for rights to reprint her lovely prose. This card is my own design, using Carien Schippers' photo.
HoofPrints donkey and mule loving customers are a passionate bunch, brisk sales on this card validate that - so I added a whole department of products just for you folks! That's here
Printed version does not have ©HoofPrints.com on it. To order the donkey card click here
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Shown here is one of my favorites, and one of the few dog Christmas cards that HoofPrints offers. May all your Christmas prayers be answered features a lovely vintage photo of a little girl and her dog saying their prayers. This image came from a now defunct publisher, and I was never able to find any information about it. Then I stumbled upon this. There are subtle differences, but it's obviously the same photo. It says Russia, Circa 1908, but I don't know how to tell if the photo was taken in Russia. No matter where it was taken, it looks like a sweet, old-time bedroom, and I paired it with Laura Ingalls Wilder's words:
Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.
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Mrs Claus Upgrades to a More Powerful Ride... Most horse people have at least some degree of interest in automotive power, if only to ascertain that the truck they're contemplating can pull a loaded horse trailer with ease. So the idea that the Mrs is thundering off on a powerful Belgian, leaving Santa behind with a bunch of dinky reindeer is sure to incite a chuckle. You can't see it very well here, but rider Nancy Robertson has an enormous smile on her face. She's obviously a very competent rider; her mount is showing an impressive display of power - that's apparent in the taut reins and the keen expression. Even the non horsey people on your list (if there are any) will get a kick out of this one. To order click here
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Shown here is one of our Christmas Cards that marked a historic moment; #CIB is the first card we've ever done that has NOT had a horse, dog, or something farrier-related on it. But I saw this lovely picture of a barn in the driving snow at night - it made me shiver with thoughts of the days that I knew were coming. The shot was taken by Christina Handley & Laura Cotterman - and I knew it was perfect for this wording:
This holiday Season, as you go about your chores in the barn, remember... That the place God chose for the birth of His only son was not a church, or a palace, but the home of animals - a stable.
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Full yet? Nope. With the hay shortage much of the country is experiencing, this card may be anything but funny, but I decided to include it anyway. My own horses are gluttons, and quickly become "wide-bodies" if allowed unrestricted access to hay or pasture. Photographer Christina Handley tells us that these girls are expecting, so their cravings and portly statures are justified.
I've actually had a few hay dealers buy this card to send to their customers.
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The full story behind a weird new product... |
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I am always on the lookout for new products that my farrier and horsey customers might find useful.
So when I saw the pitch for this new laundry detergent - saying it would remove residual stink from clothes that had been sweated in repeatedly, I immediately thought of all the hard working farriers, horsewomen, hay balers, stall cleaners, etc. As a farrier's wife with a sensitive nose, I know all too well the phenomenon where freshly washed clothes still have a hint of funky odor wafting up as they're being transferred from the washer to the dryer.
The main selling point for Rockin' Green Activewear Detergent is that it gets rid of that. I ordered a sample and set about testing it for myself...
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Let the record state that at 50-something, my laundry skills are somewhere around "expert"
So, I grabbed up an armload of my previously expertly laundered sports bras and tank tops, tossed them in the bathroom sink, added a tablespoon of Rockin' Green and filled with warm water. An hour later I didn't know whether to be astonished or grossed out. It really DOES do what they say. "Breaking down biological residues" sounds like fluffy marketing-speak... but that's exactly what happened.
If this detergent can extract that much residual dirt from this not-that-active middle aged woman's clothes, imagine what it can do for folks who really DO get sweaty and dirty! This 3 pound bag does up to 90 loads.
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Not ready for a commitment?
I get it. 90 loads is a LOT - especially if it doesn't work out as expected. So I made up these TRIAL SIZE packets. One pack does 6 loads, measuring scoop included. $5.95 and shipping is free.
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Not entirely convinced?
Here's a picture of Billy's fly mask. It was pretty pricey; I bought it when he had a serious eye injury and the meds I was using required him to wear something to block the sun. Injured eyes produce a lot of tears; they accumulate and dry, creating a crust that's nigh impossible to clean off.
Because the mask was so expensive, I was reluctant to trust my washing machine with it. Instead, the frequent cleaning needed was a laborious task that required a scrub brush to loosen the dried eye goop. An hour in the sink with a tiny bit of Rockin Green Activewear Detergent and the goop was gone. NO SCRUBBING!
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What else am I excited about? The full story behind my experience with Tough Chix Gloves! |
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These are not new, but they continue to retain their spot as one of my favorite products because they do what they're supposed to. Perfectly, durably and inexpensively.
I love them so much that I made a whole blog post singing their praises. Please overlook the ratty cutoff shorts (it was 90 degrees) and the non-OSHA-approved footwear (it was 90 degrees). I'd just finished stacking about 16 cords of firewood; a feat that I barely managed to survive, though my gloves were still going strong.
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This fun mug also has a story behind it
It's an updated version of a previous design that had run it's course. There were issues with the lighter green mug and its vendor, so I'd made the decision to axe it when stock ran out.
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Then, I got an order for several of them - more than I had on hand. The gal placing the order was actually in charge of processing a large vet clinic's equine fecal samples - so her days are, quite literally, the same sh*t. (She was shopping for Christmas early and these were to be her epically perfect gift to her co workers and bosses. At the same time, one of my good vendors had on closeout this Mid Century Modern styled mug in a shade of green that pretty much matches that which horses produce. How could I say "no" to the synchronicity here? Coming up with new stuff is hard - so I was not about to ignore any cosmic help that comes my way - in whatever form.
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Gina Keesling started HoofPrints in 1986 to provide helpful promotional materials for farrier husband Rob. Along the way she added a fun selection of horse and dog products geared toward women of a certain age. This newsletter is emailed to subscribers a few times a month. Watch for sales, stories (including dog-bathing instructions) and more. |
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I have awesome customer service reps available 24/7 to take your order or answer questions at 765-724-7004, or email gina@hoofprints.com
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