Category Archives: Stampin' Up!

Stampin’ Up! Convention 2012: Day 3

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Fantastic day – but oh, my feet!

Crystal and I stayed up past 2am last night – that’s only 10pm Hawaii time so it was ok – planning and comparing notes and laughing at the dumbest things.  It was a little grim getting up this morning but we made it to the Opening Session this morning with time to spare.  Found seats with our new friends Tara and Shannon:

Crystal, Anne, Tara and Shannon

The always charming, always stylish Shannon West shared Halloween projects from the new Holiday Mini (live to customers on August 1st!) and she did it in Shannon West Style:

Shannon West sharing Halloween projects and dressed for Trick or Treat!

Sorry, this is shot from the video screen – don’t you LOVE her??

Before she left the stage – and I’ll be sharing some photos of her projects another post – she shared a sneak peak bonus available to new Stampin’ Up! demonstrators in August.  Buy the completely customizable $99 demonstrator kit, get a discount on all your Stampin’ Supplies, and get a kit with everything you need to make this project:

Everything you need to create this project – including the tray – when you buy the completely customizeable demonstrator kit in August! Get your Stampin’ supplies at a discount – come stamp with me!

We had great morning classes – the presentations by the Stampin’ Up! home office have been wonderful.  Brian Pilling did a great job sharing leadership skills in “I am a Leader” and had us all cracking up with his examples of bad leadership style (“I am in charge.  I can do what I want because I learned it.”)

From Brian’s class we went to Karen Hauley’s “I am earning an Incentive Trip” panel.  We were ALL EARS as we listened to three successful demonstrators share their tips – but before they started, Karen shared her personal “I am” story.  She  told us of getting that dreaded telephone call from her doctor and showed us her new favorite tee “Of course they’re FAKE; my real ones tried to KILL me”!  A sense of humor is essential in life, but as Karen told us, she’s a survivor!

We took a break for lunch and spent some time looking at the AMAZING project samples.

Stampers to the right of me, cards and projects to the left of me…as far as the eye can see!

I have a lot of project photos and will do my best to share as many as possible over the next few days!

After lunch it was back to Shannon West – the QUEEN of FUN.  Who else could run the I am having FUN class?  She had us dancing in the aisles, sharing what was on our nightstands (talk about an ice breaker!) and laughing at her Back-Street-Boys-Groupie stories.  Her message was a simple and to the point – keep it fun!

Our final session of the day was Main Stage presentations.  The highlight was Shelli’s stamping presentation, and everyone’s favorite project was her gorgeous altered book.  Because of the personal nature of the book she said she wouldn’t display it in the Demonstrator Resource Center, so I took photos from the video screens.  It’s similar to a Smash Book, if you’re familiar with that concept, but she designed it as a creative journal:

This is the cover – complete with a tulle rosette (tulle ribbon coming in that Holiday Mini!) She covered an old book in gesso and then inked, spritzed, and stamped it to get that shabby chic look.  This photo doesn’t do it justice.

Shelli shared a few of her interior pages with us – and I’m telling you, she moves her hands around a LOT when she is showing a project!  I think 75% of my photos have one of her hands blurring through the middle.

She took her photo from our Convention workbook (a masterpiece in and of itself) and added it to a page.  Her personal style is as distinct as she is, and it’s always fun to see what her projects look like!

Try as I might, I couldn’t get a decent photo of this page – she was so exited about it her hands were flying!  She cut out the largest heart framelit and used it to mask the right hand page, then spritzed like made to get this look.  I loved how she took advantage of the written page and how she allowed the elements to layer – the book was very chunky.

There’s so much more to share – I would use the word SATURATED right now to describe how I feel.  I’ll leave you with a few final thoughts:

  • Stampin’ Up! is an amazing company that puts service to both demonstrators and customers as a top priority
  • Our experience at convention is colored in every way, shape and form by the people and relationships we encounter all day and well into the night – these are lifetime friends
  • There is more creativity in this Convention Center than I have ever seen in one place at one time
  • Shannon West has it right – We ARE fun!

Tomorrow is the last day – we are going to bed before 2am tonight!

Stampin’ Up! Convention 2012 Day 2 Wrap-up

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Every once in a while my tendency for exuberance pays off:

My brand new, exclusive, Limited Edition MDS2 tee!

We had great sessions today – I was inspired by Tami White in “I Am…Doing Business My Way” with Bonnie Thurber from the Stampin’ Up! head office.  Crystal and I found a little time to browse some of the displays and see some new projects, and this afternoon we participated in an enormous swap.  Here’s the card I brought to the dance:

WOW Swap Summer Silhouette Stampin Up Convention 2012

I used the Summer Silhouette set which is quickly becoming my favorite – and would you look at how all of the different elements coordinate?  That’s why I am such a Stampin’ Up! fan!  I have seen so many gorgeous cards and project ideas in my first 24 hours – it will be a busy fall!

Today at the morning session the company recognized demonstrators celebrating 5, 10, 15 and 20 years.  I celebrated 5 years last August and this was my chance to walk across the stage.  I was a little naughty, though, because the two women in front of me needed a little extra time down the steps and I kinda photo-bombed their picture:

Photobomb!

Loved my own moment in the spotlight – can you tell?

Celebrating 5 years at Stampin’ Up!

Our keynote speaker this morning was Jason Ryan Dorsey from the Center for Generational Kinetics.  He got us all thinking about the differences between Gen X, Gen Y and the Boomers – who each group is and why they are that way.  What an insightful and entertaining preesntation!  His observations were spot on as Crystal and I represent Gen Y and the Boomers respectively – and there was a lot of laughter in the General Session as he told us some rather painful truths!  I’m looking at my peers, friends, family and acquaintances in a whole new way.

Holly Linford from Stampin’ Up! did a great presentation on the enhancements coming August 1st to MDS2 for our final session at Convention this afternoon.  This is digital scrapbooking at a brand new level!

There’s so much more to share – new merchandise at Memento Mall, MDS2, projects and friends old and new (and no, this is not a Gen Y/Boomer thing!!)  I want to leave you with one last thing.  This is how we started our morning, and when you listen to this I think it gives you a pretty good idea of the kind of fun that Stampin’ Up! brings to the table.

Stampin’ Up! Convention 2012: Swap Update

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I’ve got a couple of quick swap pix to share this morning – should have more to share tonight!

 

Swapping today on the convention floor and in elevators, hallways, classrooms, restaurant waiting lines, any kind of line, really!

 

Cased myself – LOVE this Happy Hour stamp set – you’ll be seeing it again!
Hope on over to Crystal’s blog for a peek at some of her swaps!

Stampin’ Up! Convention 2012: Wednesday

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WOW.

I’ve been here before, but every time it’s new, exciting, inspiring and FUN.  This year is no different – Crystal and I arrived Tuesday morning on the red eye from Maui.  We were hoping for a nap at our hotel but there wasn’t a room available, so we did what any self-respecting female would do:  We headed over to the new City Creek Mall in downtown Salt Lake City for some retail therapy.  Names have been changed to protect the innocent, but I guarantee you a good time was had by all.  Today was different.  Today was Stampin’ Up! ALL DAY!

How about some photos??  Be kind, please don’t copy and paste as I don’t have my watermark software on my new laptop yet.  You are welcome to link to my blog from yours!

Crystal at the counter full of new stamp sets checking into her very FIRST convention after 7 years as a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator!!! Is she happy or what??

Our new convention bag – and our new convention stamp sets for our Make and Take projects!

The swapping was fast and furious! We were in line for our awards 🙂

After 7 years as a demonstrator, Crystal finally got her “My First Convention” pin!!

Crystal in Memento Mall with a special new toy – I got one too – but you’l have to wait to see it!

One of the display boards at Memento Mall – so many cute things to choose from!!

Our Make-and-Take table all ready for us – it’s so much fun to be the ones who get to sit and play and let someone else do all the planning and preparation!!

Look how nicely our Make and Take table was set up!

All I can say is you need to be here. There’s a lot of time between now and Convention 2013 to prepare, plan and save!! And 2013 will be the 25th Anniversary Convention so you KNOW it’s gonna be awesome!

There are two things in Salt Lake that create adjustment “issues” for me.  One is the very dry air, which makes my hair fly around every which way like a posessed demon.  The second is the fact that we are much farther north of the equator than we are at home, and the sun doesn’t go down until nearly 9pm.  This has caused us to underestimate the time in the afternoon and evening by laughable amounts, and when you are running on no sleep, lots of caffeine and a serious case of the giggles, it’s possible that people might look at you and wonder if you weren’t quite all right.  Not that this happened to Crystal and I, of course.

Anyway, by the time we ate dinner and got into our room last night it was very late.  We got settled and hit the sheets, and despite remaining a bit short on sleep we were up and running first thing this morning to get our new convention bags and hit Memento Mall.  Good stuff, my friends, good stuff!  We spent the afternoon making our Make-and-Takes (Stampin’ Up! has AWESOME projects every year, and this one is no exception).  By 5pm we had socialized and bit and were starving, so we headed out for a bite to eat…but it was quick, because at 7pm we were back for more serious crafting!  That project isn’t completely assembled because it has to get home on the plane first – I’ll show you next week.

It’s Happy Hour…

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It’s always Happy Hour somewhere…

 

Maui Stamper Happy Hour

  • Happy Hour stamp set
  • Daffodil Delight and Tempting Turquoise FFIP
  • Daffodil Delight and Tempting Turquoise Stampin’ Write markers
  • Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise and Lucky Limeade card stock
  • Summer Smooches Designer Series paper
  • Daffodil Delight 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon

These were so easy to make – and I couldn’t stop once I got started!

Maui Stamper Happy Hour

Doesn’t everybody deserve a cheer of their own once in a while – or two of them – or even three?

Maui Stamper Happy Hour

I put a little bit of Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint on the cocktail glasses with a dauber, but it doesn’t show well.  What it needs is Dazzling Diamonds, but Mr. Maui Stamper has a significant aversion to GLITTER.  He doesn’t ask much, so I keep my bling as much under control as possible.

These are fun and fast and there are loads of sentiments in this set – good for any happy occasion!

 

Betsy’s little pocket

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The Petite Pocket Bigz die cut has called my name for quite a while, but I’ve resisted…until now.  Cheryl and I designed vintage monochromatic Pockets HERE, and that was it:  I gave in and bought the die.

Maui Stamper Betsy's Blooms Petite Pocket

  • Betsy’s Blooms and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets
  • Gumball Green, Summer Starfruit and Primrose Petals FFIP (Firm Foam Ink Pads)
  • Very Vanilla, Summer Starfruit and Raspberry Ripple card stock
  • Blossom, 1/2 and 3/4 inch Circles and Jewelry tag punches
  • Linen thread and Island Indigo 3/8 inch ruffled ribbon
  • 2011-2013 Printed Designer brads
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals
  • Big Shot and Petite Pocket Bigz die

I try not to jump on the new Big Shot Die Bandwagon every time a new die comes out.  Sometimes I’ll borrow it from another demonstrator to find out if I really like it.  Sometimes I find it’s something I don’t really need to have.  Most of the time, I’m hooked.

I filled this little pocket with a couple of yards of ribbon to say thanks to some kind friends.  It’s just the right size for a little gift and it uses a half sheet of cardstock cut the long way.  It goes together easily with a little Tombo (the wonder adhesive).  Betsy’s Blooms is a great “go-to” stamp set.  It’s versatile and the big round floral image fits perfectly in the Blossom Punch.

I’m getting ready for convention – it’s just around the corner – and things are getting a little wacky around here.  Seems as if the whole summer has been a progression from one big event to another!  Can’t wait to find out what Stampin’ Up! has in store for us.  I’ll share as much as I can!

 

 

Everyone needs a Reason to Smile…

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And who wouldn’t smile about a beautiful stamp set for only $5??

Stampin Up Reason to Smile Maui Stamper

 

During the month of July you can own A Reason to Smile for only $5 (wood or clear) with a Stampin’ Up! purchase of $50.  This exclusive stamp set is ONLY available this month so don’t delay your order!

Would you like to see what I did with this set?

Maui Stamper Reason to Smile

  • Reason to Smile and Loving Thoughts stamp sets
  • Very Vanilla, Regal Rose and Soft Suede card stock
  • First Edition Designer Series Paper
  • Soft Suede and Regal Rose FFIP (Firm Foam Ink Pads)
  • Aquapainter and Regal Rose Classic Ink Refill
  • Piercing Tool and Template
  • Rhinestone Jewels
  • Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint
  • Sponge Daubers
  • Soft Suede Polka Dot Ribbon (retired)

These daisies are dancing-in-the-breeze kind of daisies – they have a lot of movement.  This set is a Two-Step set and comes with an image to fill the flower, but I wanted more control over the color contrast in the petals so I used the aquapainter.

Hmmm.  I think it needs a splash or two from the Color Spritzer.

Remember the details:

  • Reason to Smile wood (#131274) 
  • Reason to Smile clear mount (#131275)
  • Either one only $5 when you order any $50 in Stampin’ Up! products
  • Available through July 31st!  One per customer

Shop HERE!

 

One last Digger

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There are 3 heavy-duty digging machines in the I Dig You stamp set.  I think I’ve mentioned that there was a time in my life – when my son was young – that I knew the name and function of nearly any piece of equipment you might see on a construction site.  My son and I checked books out from the library, watched hours and hours of video, and of course made field trips to any job site we could find in order to watch the Diggers Dig.

At one point we would walk past an especially interesting site every day (ok, I walked, he rode in the stroller).  The work began with tearing down an old, small beach house, then progressed to grading and preparing the ground for construction.  Once the new structure started going up there were different pieces of equipment being used, and we were such frequent observers that the construction crew would stop and chat with us.  My son knew the function of every machine and it seemed he could sit for hours watching them work.

Of course, we never saw a loader operated by a giraffe:

Maui Stamper I Dig You

  • I Dig You and Itty Bitty Banners stamp set
  • Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, Crumb Cake, Basic Black and Very Vanilla card stock
  • Riding Hood Red and Baja Breeze Classic ink pads
  • Basic Black, Crumb Cake and Pretty in Pink Stampin’ Write markers
  • Big Shot and Bitty Banners Framelits
  • Linen Thread
  • Rhinestone Jewels
  • Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint
  • Crystal Effects
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals
  • 1/2 inch circle punch

Every stamp set needs a bit of whimsey, and small animals ready to drive big construction equipment is nothing if not whimsical.

 

 

 

Workshop Words

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Convention is coming…and there’s so much to do to be ready.  It’s a 4-day celebration of Stampin’ Goodness and I can’t wait!  Stampin’ Up! does a fabulous job of recognizing, rewarding and encouraging all of the demonstrators in attendance and I’m looking forward to this year’s surprises – because I know there will be surprises in store for us!

Last year, we earned an exclusive stamp set available only to demonstrators who attended convention.  Each of the expressions in the set was business related to use with customers and team-mates.  It was just the thing to recognize a few Maui Stampers that have accomplished some big goals in the past 6 weeks:

Maui_Stamper_Workshop_Words

  • Workshop Words stamp set
  • Pool Party, Midnight Muse, Pool Party, Cajun Craze and Whisper White card stock
  • Comfort Cafe Designer Series Paper
  • Midnight Muse FFIP
  • Pool Party Stampin’ Write marker
  • Pool Party 3/8 inch ruffled ribbon
  • White Bakers Twine
  • Jewels Pearls
  • Decorative label punch
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals

It’s such a treat to get an “atta-girl” card in the mail…who wouldn’t like an unexpected pat on the back?

 

Clean and Simple Thanks

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Clean and simple isn’t a regular part of my repertoire.  It’s a style I admire, but one I find difficult to execute.  I just can’t seem to stop adding things, and before you know it my cards are covered with layers, embellishments, and road signs.  However, my son needed thank you notes.  Clean and simple fit the bill:

My Friend Thank You

 

  • My Friend and Perfectly Penned stamp sets
  • Very Vanilla card stock
  • Crumb Cake and Riding Hood Red Classic ink pads
  • Riding Hood Red 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon
  • Rhinestone jewels

My apologies;  the Riding Hood Red ribbon is retired, but Real Red is available and would be a perfect substitute.

Why don’t I make more Clean and Simple cards?  I really like them – it’s a mystery, I guess.  I don’t mind not knowing the answer.

{flashback:  Catholic Elementary school.  Classroom full of 11 year olds playing  “stump the priest” asking ridiculous questions.  His response?  A placid smile and “It’s a mystery, my child”.}

Note that this card was made before my FFIP arrived.  I could spend the next 6 months remaking cards with the FFIP to see how much better they looked.  Or I could just make new cards.  Yeah.  I think that’s what I’ll do.