Amazing artists

Posted on July 23, 2012 by mauistamper

Hit the floor running this morning – good way to work in some WW Activity Points, I guess! So much to do in so many different areas of life. I guess that’s part of the definition of Woman.

My suitcase is unpacked although most of the Stampin’ Goodness is in heaps on the counters in my studio. Captain Stupidhead (aka the cat) has wasted no time in telling me how horribly mistreated he was while I was gone, how no one loves him the way that I do, and that the only thing that will make it better will be for me to sit and hold him on my lap and pet him until tomorrow. Oh well, Pookie, you’ll get over it – I don’t have that kind of time! I did take him upstairs when I went to bed around 9:30 (BLISS = your OWN bed). Mr Maui Stamper put Pookie out before he came to bed as the Captain can’t seem to sleep past about 3:30am. Most annoying.

But you’re not here to hear about the Captain, you want to see Stampin’! I don’t know if I’ll get organized enough this week to share photos that flow together or tell a story or anything, but I have a few I think you’ll like. Every year I struggle with what photos to take. If my photos contain too many objects I never go back and look at them because they are overwhelming. If I take one project at a time it takes ETERNITY!! I tried to find a happy medium and will start by showing some of the things that really caught my eye. I’m not saying I would actually make some of these, just that I admire the artistry and craftsmanship.

Amazing, isn’t it? I wish there was enough room on the Stampin’ Up! convention display boards to acknowledge each artisti individually. This was one of those projects that caused me to just stand there and stare. Here’s a little more detail:

There is a name for this type of paper art but it escapes me – if you know it I would be grateful for your comment. (Ed: it’s called Iris Fold. Thank you Kay and Sharri!) If you are the artist or know who she (maybe even he?) is, I would love to give you credit here too!

4 September 2013: Edited to add…

The artist is Julie Olivier, and her blog is www.madewithpaper.wordpress.com Go visit her and tell her how fabulous she is!

One more close-up:

Isn’t the detail on this awesome???

Now for a few other 3-D items that were grouped together and also fit into the “awesome” catagory:

I loved this paper topiary. I made one quite a while ago out of felt but this one has a completely different feeling. There are so many layers, and the subtle colors give this depth and a lush feeling. I know it would be a ton of work but I feel an irresistable urge to make one myself. Stay tuned…

Here’s a “Two-fer” – and I think they’re both beautiful and romantic! All those pearls…and the glitter on the butterfly. I really, really, really love Mr Maui Stamper but I wish he didn’t have such a strong dislike of glitter.

Another take on the topiary concept..and seriously, can you believe this artist inked EVERY SINGLE BLOOMIN’ Boho Flower??? At least I think they’re Bohos. Oh my goodness. The resemblance to real life Lilacs is amazing, but WOW.

Enough for now, got a Maui Stampers team meeting tomorrow night and we have lots to talk about!!

En route home to Maui: PDX

Posted on July 22, 2012 by mauistamper

Such an early call this morning – felt as though I would never wake up! Crystal an I were in the back of the plane but we whipped out our catalogs and started planning classes (stay tuned Maui peeps the dates are coming!)

We must have been a little noisy because we attracted the interest of our neighbor across the aisle. Turns out she’s a newlywed on the way home from her honeymoon. She also loves paper crafting so that flight went by quickly!

Just a couple of quick pix from convention – they’re from my phone so I apologize about the quality – as a taste of what else is to come:

Stampin’ Up! Convention 2012: It’s a wrap

Posted on July 21, 2012 by mauistamper

My bags are packed, I’m ready to go…

And I have to tell you that having my bags packed – within weight limits – is an absolute miracle. I’m taking home 7 new stamp sets, oodles of completed projects, loads of swaps, and heaps of Memento Mall swag. There also might be a little bit of shopping in my suitcase that is unrelated to Stampin’ Up! (just maybe!)

The classes today were excellent. I know there are people who come to convention and spend most of their time socializing, networking, (shopping, eating) and doing things besides the classes – but I LOVE the classes. I am inspired, I am challenged, I am learning new things!

Our final session was memorable for so many reasons. Dale Hampshire, the manager for the Candian business, showed off some pretty impressive dancing as he entered the stage to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Stampin’ Up! in Canada. Carrie Cudney showed off some pretty impressive bagpiping (with her “baby” brother) as she entered the stage to demonstrate all sorts of hand-crafted flowers. Shelli and her daughter Sara revealed the destination for the Grand Vacation 2014 in a hilarious skit with CEO Rich Jutkins. The location? A Western Carribbean cruise on the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas.

Then Shelli – well, Shelli did what she does best. She talked about the company and the people – staff and demonstrators – that make Stampin’ Up! what it is. Shelli also gave away stamps – our 2012-2013 Ronald McDonald House benefit set, Moving Forward, as well as the new hostess set for the Holiday Mini catalog, Mixed Medley. We also earned a fabulous demonstrator-only set, and when you add all of those together with our Make-and-Take sets, it was some pretty impressive loot!

I apologize for the quality of these photos – they’re from my phone, which doesn’t give the best results in the darkened environment of Main Stage.

Time for bed – shoot, I’m always saying that – but it’s an early call in the morning and home to Maui and my boys.

Grand Vacation!!!

Posted on July 21, 2012 by mauistamper

Grand vacation 2014: Western Carribbean Cruise!!

Let’s go!!!

Look what My Digital Studio can do!!

Posted on July 21, 2012 by mauistamper

Just saw this card and had to take pix!! MDS and the Storytime Suite!! Rock my socks!!

Convention 2012: Final day

Posted on July 21, 2012 by mauistamper

Time has flown by! Can’t believe we’re at the end – waiting for the General Closing Session. Great classes today – learned so much from Carrie Cudney in I am Open for Business, got great inspiration in Donna Griffith’s I am Savvy (super projects by Dawn, Meg and Laura) and was so inspired by Pam Morgan in I am Making Money (an yes, I’d you’re wondering, I AM making money!!).

We got our exclusive convention stamp set and had a few minutes for some more project pix. Took a triple espresso to get me going this morning! The barista at Toasters looked worried for me but I assured him I would be ok.

Demos, check in for the live feed at 10am HST!! Can’t wait to hear the big announcements and see what else Shelli and the team have for us!

Stampin’ Up! Convention 2012: Day 3

Posted on July 20, 2012 by mauistamper

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

Posted on July 19, 2012 by mauistamper

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:

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.