Wow! What a day!! I have so many pictures to show you so I think I will put them in mainly as thumbnails and you can click on them if you want to see them closer.
We had our trip to Kanab where we toured the Stampin’ Up manufacturing place. So much of it is not allowed to be photographed so I will only post what I am allowed. (wouldn’t want to give the competition any idea how efficient and industrious SU have become!)
We were all given a little swatch of 3 different designer papers. My swatch was Washington Apple so that was to be my bus. We were to be out the door by 8:00 am to depart for a 2 hour ride to Kanab. I went out to find my bus and saw 2 huge buses and a little short bus, which turned out to be the one I was on.
Can we just say how many jokes we heard about being on the short bus? We loved our small group and had a ball! Cory Hancock was the ‘mc’ and we had 2 hours of conversation about what we would like SU to start doing, stop doing or continue doing. That was interesting! There were more continue doing than stop doing, so that was a very good thing!
The new Kanab facility is really pretty – very clean with wide open spaces inside. There are 76 employees that work with precision to make our stamps. They all love to work there and that was really evident as we toured through. I asked one person if it was always this clean and she said yes, always! Shelli heard me and said that she is a “meanie” about keeping it clean, bright and nice! Can’t imagine her being a meanie about anything.
We watched the whole process of making stamps, from the artist’s drawing to the huge rolls of rubber, then to the cutter, the making of the molds, the oven, the die cutting process and the packing of the stamps in our boxes. I even worked on the assembly line, putting the stamps and blocks in the boxes! Just like Lucy in the chocolate factory!
The fabulous Julie Salva, showing off an antique cabinet filled with SU catalog samples. This was in the foyer area of the building.
Since Kanab is 2 hours from the home office, sometimes Shelli will stay there. My jaw was dropping as I walked through the living areas of this place! Other guests, out of towners or family and corporate members stay there also when needed. Look at how Shelli has decorated all of these rooms and guest bedrooms!
Foyer area
One of the bedrooms
living /media room I think
- Loved the chandelier over the sink in a guest bathroom!
After the tour, we got back onto our short bus and headed to a park for lunch. It was beautiful outside and SU had Subway come out to make us sandwiches.
This was our view from the pavilion where we ate.
This is the playground at the park that Sterling and Shelli founded, I believe. See all the rubber on the ground? Yup, all stamp set trimmings that they grind up and donate to parks and places that need extra cushy landings!
We were all like kids in a sandbox, taking pics while throwing it in the air and looking for images in the rubber that we recognize! I found one from a retired set with a paisley on it!
A great photo of this year’s Rising Stars, up on the top of the monkey bars!
The pics of me throwing the rubber in the air were not so flattering and probably beyond any of Matt’s photoshop magic so all you’ll get to see is my shoes and a close up of the purple and red rubber!!
So here is my favorite pic of the day:
She was taking a break and I caught her before the crowd realized she was stationary! After that, they told her that she was a ‘prop’ and couldn’t leave so everyone could get a pic with her. I told her this one came out so good it should be her next Stampin’ Success magazine picture!
We played Bingo on the way home and I won a spool of wide Saffron Ribbon and a pack of Washington Apple paper! I sat next to Ashley Van Camp on the way there and back. She is a Rising Star, which means she earned the cruise and Founder’s Circle her first year! She is a bundle of energy (and a competitive and exuberent Bingo player – thank goodness she won, too!) and it was so fun getting to know her.
Ok, you’ve made it with me this far so you must be wondering what the Pillow gift is today! When I got back to my room, I thought maybe we didn’t get anything. I mean really, they have done so much for us already and everyday here is amazing without any more gifts! I almost missed it, a little box and note:
See the glittered “L” chipboard?
And inside the box: (cyber drumroll)
A gorgeous neckace with my initial!!
Matt asked me to take some scenery shots for him so here are a few from today. Matt – Miss you like crazy and wish you were here to see it all with me! LU
Linda Heller
