Sleuth Members Essentials Kit at our website!

Sleuths,

Up now in our "members only" section of our website - www.ndsleuths.com, at the bottom of the main "news" page is a Sleuth Members Essentials Kit consisting of pdf/doc files for your use with library/book displays, Nancy Drew talks you're giving, promoting your collections to local/national media, giving interviews to the press, book club meetings, and other projects/activities you're involved with.

The files encompass Nancy Drew's history, fun facts, famous quotes, trivia, things we've learned from Nancy, information about our group and our conventions and more! There's also a handy fill-in-the blank press release for your convenience if you want to highlight your collection to the local press and inspire a local collector piece. And a spiffy press release if you have a book club in your area you want to promote to the media. These files are perfect for printing out and hanging up for displays, for reference in giving talks, and there are flyers to print up to hand out to people for joining our group or subscribing to The Sleuth. You can open the files and print or directly save them to your hard drive for printing. The Press releases are Word Files, so you can add to them and customize them as need be.

This year we've had a lot more members involved in these kinds of activities who have been using my 80th press kits, Sleuth flyers, etc.. so I thought it would be a great idea to centralize all this info for you to be able to go and grab it when you need it. Keep me posted if you're using it and what's going on with your display/talk/event/etc. and I may be able to further help you promote it via my contacts with the publishers/licensees and even get products for raffles/giveaways/etc.

Jenn:)

2010 Nancy Drew Images at our Members Only Section

Sleuths,

I've uploaded 3 slideshows and lots of pictures from the 2010 land and cruise conventions at our website in the "members only" section.

Jenn:)

AZ Sleuths Book Discussion Group: Hollow Oak & Ivory Charm

Our local AZ Sleuths got together for our May 29th meeting at the Barnes & Noble store in Chandler. Attending besides myself were Becky, Gail, Tina, Beth-Marie, Judy, Dede, Laura, and Arlene.

We began with some show and tell. Laura, Dede, and Judy brought scrapbooks they'd been working on from the last 2 conventions. Shown above is Dede's Vegas scrapbook.

Gail completed a magnifying glass project with a cute decoupaged box

Inside the box - Got a clue? Nancy Drew!

Dede created a scrappy frame for the convention this year

A page from Laura's scrapbook from this year's convention

Nancy Drew paper specially created

Becky's handmade Old Clock tee

Dede & Judy

Beth-Marie and Tina

Gail and Becky

Laura and Arlene

We discussed The Message in the Hollow Oak and The Mystery of the Ivory Charm. Most liked the revised version of Hollow Oak better. The Nappi third art for Hollow Oak was enjoyed due to the spooky scene. The 2nd Nappi art for Ivory Charm was preferred over the others.

Jenn:)

Carolina Sleuths 80th Nancy Drew Party

Our Carolina Sleuths from the NC/SC area who get together during the year for book club meetings held an 80th birthday party at Borders for Nancy Drew a couple of weeks ago! The event turned out so nice and benefited a local child in need as well.

Members displayed vintage Nancy Drew books and collectibles.

Nancy Drew Illustrator Rudy Nappi & his Wife Peggy

They had stations for kids to have fun at--this one above was to write your own Nancy Drew story.

The Carolina Sleuths & The Nappis

A Crafty Nancy Drew Bookmarks Station

CSI: ND Station

Nancy Drew Coloring Book Pages

Kids coloring their pages.

Jenn:)

Nancy Drew Cafe Press Shop Sale: 20% off through May 31!

2 ways to save at our Nancy Drew Cafe Press Shop:

20% off Tees, Tanks, Beach Totes & Summer Gear - Nancy Drew CafePress Shop: http://www.cafepress.com/nancydrewshop Code: 20BACK - Order by May 31!

ALSO 20% off anything ordered over 50.00 - Nancy Drew CafePress Shop: http://www.cafepress.com/nancydrewshop Code: MEMORIAL - Order by May 31!

Jenn:)

2010 Nancy Drew Sleuths Cruise Pt. 3

Wed. April 14 - Day at Sea

Well you may be wondering about the statue above. Let's just say we were in Michelangelo's Lounge and there were lots of reproduction Greek statues. Shenanigans ensued. Hey, that's just how we roll...

Today we held 4 presentations in the morning from Todd, myself, Carolyn Dyer and Rudy Nappi. Rudy did some demonstrations with Elizabeth to show how he would pose models:

In the afternoon we wrapped up the scavenger hunt and held a costume party like in the revision of Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk. Here are some of the costumes:

Debbie and Jenn as George's costume from Brass-Bound Trunk

Gina as Snowball, Nancy's cat!

Elizabeth M. as Madame Cully from OT Moss-Mansion

Wendy as The Old Clock

Carolyn as the Digger Man from the Digger Eps

Dede as OT Missing Map Nancy

Wrapping up the Scavenger Hunt

Todd and David's prize

We all had a great time on the cruise and plan to do another in a couple of years!

Jenn:)

2010 Nancy Drew Sleuths Cruise Pt. 2

Wed. April 13 - Nassau

Wednesday we were in Nassau early am so most of the day and evening was spent off the ship for some--for some it got funky in the Karaoke room :)

Some of us went on the same tours--including historic tours, glass bottom boat tours, snorkeling and similar excursions. Nassau was a little more interesting than Freeport and it seemed like there was a lot more to do. The Atlantis resort was top notch and the food there was fabulous.

Here's some miscellaneous shots of everyone during the cruise:

The Nappis on the "Serenity Now" Deck

Judy and Dede

Jeremy & Meredith

Jennifer and Elizabeth

The Karaoke Gang - David, Todd, Dede, Laurie,
Meredith, Laura, Christine, Gina, and Judy

Jenn:)

2010 Nancy Drew Sleuths Cruise Pt. 1

Sun. April 11 - Cruising to the Bahamas

After we got our Bon Voyage wave from some landlubbers who couldn't make it, we headed off to our Carnival cruise ship, The Sensation.

Our first day on the ship was filled with lunch, exploring the sights of the ship, the sail away with lots of people waving and shouting from shore and then just lots of water all around us. We were headed for our first destination--Freeport.

That night we held a brief meet and greet. Laurie and I got a bit turned around trying to get to the top deck with the mini golf and nearly blown off the deck. My it was a bit windy! We met up with the rest of the crowd inside. The scavenger hunt began after I passed out sheets that included some items Nancy looked for in Double Crossing. A bonus item was decided upon that was a towel from the Men's locker room an item she found in the book but one I didn't include in the list.

Tues. April 12 - Freeport & Formal Night

Freeport greeted us with lots of clouds and rain. Some of us had our shore excursions canceled so we had to take alternate ones. From swimming with dolphins, cruises around the waterways to shopping, there was something for everyone!

In the afternoon we held a book discussion but it didn't seem like very many had read the books for the discussion so that didn't last too long. We played a brief "ice breaker" game Heroes and Villains with people trying to find out if they were a Nancy Drew hero or a villain.

Our last main event was the formal night on the ship in which we dressed up for dinner. That was a lot of fun.

Rudy and Peggy Nappi, Sue, Jessica, Gina

Jenn, Will, Karen, Arlene, Laura, Laurie

Meredith, Elizabeth M., Jennifer, Kelly, Heidi, Morgan, Wendy, Carolyn

Debbie, Glen, Debra, Dale, Patricia, Christine

Christina, Elizabeth W., Nancy, and Clinton

Marita, Dede, Judy

Lois, Cynthia, David, Todd, Jim, Johnny

Jeremy and Chris

Meredith with the Nappis

Following dinner we met up on the "Serenity Now" deck to chat.

Jenn:)

2010 Nancy Drew Sleuths Land Con Pt 5

Sat. April 10 - Convention Day & Mystery Dinner

Today was our convention day with a raffle to benefit the Merritt Island Public Library and a day of speakers and awards presentations.

I spoke about Nancy Drew and her fans. Laura Ruby spoke about her Nancy Drew art series.

Jessica Chiang of Her Interactive speaks about the computer games

I gave Todd our first The Sleuth Award and then presented Rudy with our Honorary Sleuth Award.

Todd spoke about ND/HB crossovers

Judy and Dede spoke about Nancy Drew crafts

Rudy, Jim, & Jarrell

Todd and Johnny's shenanigans

Todd and David's Fortin's beamer creation from the Moss Mansion book for the mystery dinner turned out clever.

Some of Nancy Drew illustrator Rudy Nappi's Paintings

Gina, Kelly, Lisa, and Mary

Tolling Bell Ghost & Ira Nixon

Lea's Mysterious Mannequin costume

Janet, Carol, and Laurie

Following our convention day, we held our mystery dinner with a Moss Mansion hunt to find a tool that would dismantle villain Fortin's beamer from the book. Most everyone came in costume as their favorite Nancy Drew character or something related to the books.

Jenn:)