Sep 14, 2012 |
125 women in pajamas, bearing boxes and tote bags filled with handmade cards, smushed together in one room for one reason….stamps! Who woulda thought that when Shelli
and her sister started this company 25 years ago it would lead here!
As we entered our gathering area, the smell of roasted cinnamon and sugar nuts was amazing! Look at the cute cones they put them in! We each received a nautical tote bag and swatch book with submitted business ideas! I love the bag with the logo and year on it.
There were pajamas of every style and slippers, too! These little piggies of mine came with me to the party:
We listened to business ideas shared by our fellow demonstrators and some fun announcements. Then headed to start our line swap. 120 swappers standing in a long line as we exchanged our cards. Look at my stuffed bag full of swaps!
Don’t you wish you were here in my room tonight going thru them all? I wish you were here, too! (course maybe we wouldn’t all fit in the room 🙂
Here is ONE and then I’m going to bed.
Tomorrow is a BiG day! Manufacturing tour in Kanab, picnic lunch with the employees and a surprise event that we know zero details except to bring water shoes and sunscreen. Yikes!
This card is by Deb Valder and shows what she named the Moonlight Technique! Love the sponging detail and champagne glimmer paper!
Happy Stampin’! Linda
Sep 13, 2012 |
Having a hotel room all to myself feels a bit strange but I managed to sleep in and then saunter down to the breakfast buffet by 8 am. Matt will be surprised that I skipped the waffle maker this morning but I’m still full from dinner last night!
They expanded our hospitality room today! They take down the walls and then add a lots of sofas and chairs for us to lounge around in.
We can work on or make & takes any time today or tomorrow at our leisure. There is a display board with our projects, which I’m allowed to share with you since they are completed projects (can’t show the raw product like sets that are not available until next Occasions catalog)
I don’t have any details yet on what the techniques are or how the projects are put together since I have not made them yet. But I’ll share ’em with you for your visual enjoyment!
***update! These are NOT our projects, just samples using our new set. We actually are making a whole 8×8 scrapbook! More later 🙂
Tonight is our pajama party and share night. It’s my favorite night since I get to see 125 of the swaps and also get to chat about business ideas and hear about what other people are doing. Have a great day and go stamp something! Linda
Sep 18, 2011 |
After a day of shopping, talking, eating, more talking and more eating, we got ready for our surprise night out. Stampin’ Up arranges something wonderful on our last night and we don’t know what it is until we arrive!
Backing up a bit, SU started something new last year to help us get to know eachother. When we arrive, our nametags have a special team name on it and we are to find our 6 other team members. Our team was called the White Gloves! So Janet Wakeland (one of our white glovers) in all her “resourcefullness” , brought us all white gloves and pearls! So if you see white gloves in the pictures later, you will know why. We had dinner together that first night.
Since the theme this year is Tea Party (and I don’t think I posted our dinner pictures from that first night where we all had a tea cup with roses at our place setting so I’ll insert a quick pic here)
So when the bus arrived to take us to our secret location, the White Gloves were to get on the same bus to go to an activity. We pulled into the golf course and wondered if we would be golfing but of course, SU had another idea for us.
Good grief, what do they have in store for us?
Our team of 7 had 4 golf carts, a map and a bottle of water and off we went!
We had the BEST time working through crazy games and challenges as we sped through the golf course!
The view was incredible as we drove around the course!
Fellow White Glovers, Patty Bennett and Janet Wakeland
I love this picture of Jan Wakeland with our shadows cheering her on!There were bunnies everywhere! (and we didn't hit one, but we missed a few by a hare..)
We decided that we would just use a few cameras and share pictures so we didn’t have to have other teams wait on us. So I don’t have our group pics to show you yet! My White Gloves team: Patty Bennett, Judy Garza, Kristin Kortonick, Janet Wakeland, Patty Chenail, and Cindy Baughman. We laughed a lot and although we didn’t win, we had a blast!
There were bunnies everywhere! (and we didn't hit one, but we missed a few by a hare..)
Shelli was running the marshmallow relay, where we had to balanced a marshmallow on a golf club, run around the flag and bag without dropping itThere were bunnies everywhere! (and we didn't hit one, but we missed a few by a hare..)
A roadrunner!!
After we made it through all the challenges, we sat down to a lovely dinner: At our dinner table, we had a trophy filled with markers!
Our centerpiece with our team name….
And after full tummys and a bus ride back to our hotel, we ran up to our rooms to see what SU left us as our last pillow gift!
It was a sparkly fob of sorts to hang on our purse or whatever we might want to use it for! It has a tea cup with an FC and Founder’s Circle 2011 on the bottom:
Thanks for following along my trip!
Linda
Sep 28, 2009 |
Here are the first batch of the fab swaps from the Stampin Up Founders Circle retreat!! I was so excited to swap with 125 talented stampers. I delayed in posting some of them until today because I had a Demonstrator get together with my downline yesterday and I wanted them to be a surprise!
By the way, if you received a wacky post in your email feed yesterday, I apologize. I was playing with an electronic signature for my blog and it created a post without my knowledge! Anyway, life in blogdom is sometimes unpredictable.
All Images copyright Stampin’ Up!
Jill Olsen
This card is stunning with red glitter but the photo just doesn’t capture it.
Christy Harsch
I think this is done with tin foil!
Jen Jacobsen
Love the VersaMark watermark background on Jen’s quick and easy card
Glenda Travelstead
This has a pretty shimmer sprayed on with a mixture of alcohol and our new API ink, Champagne Mist.
Christy Schroeger
I love that she used Rich Razzleberry for the main card color. It wasn’t a color I thought would be great for Halloween, but it really works here
Kimberly Van Diepen
Love the colors, love the stylishious bow and it says Create…how perfect!
Sep 20, 2009 |
I had another relaxing day ( a girl could really get used to this) of eating, talking, eating, laughing, eating, sharing ideas, eating….you get the idea. Oh, and I did get my MDS (My Digital Studio) certification and class done today!
At 5ish, we hopped on buses and headed off to our suprise location. We pulled into The Ledges, a golf club in St. George. Before we got off the bus they told us that there was a box at our table and NOT to touch it!
About that box….
(p.s. see the table cloth? Cottage Wall DS, of course)
Shelli spoke for a few minutes before we were allowed to open the boxes. She spoke about our theme this week, blooms and growth and butterflies…
and on the count of 3, we all opened our boxes and released our LIVE butterflies! It was magical to see them all flying in the air!
Some stayed a while when they found a shoulder to lean on, like the fabulous Joann Weimers at my table. Some butterflies were a little confused with Jan Burnett’s Big Shot flower!
Lisa Schmid was truly the butterfly whisperer as her hung around quite a while and even drank a bit of fruit juice from her finger!
Then if ALL that wonderful-ness wasn’t enough, this was on my pillow when I returned to my room:
I’m sad to leave my friends and my new friends but home is a wonderful place, too! I miss Matt like crazy and can’t wait to see him. (poor guy has to pick me up from the airport at midnight and then I’ll be hungry so he’ll have to take me to eat, too!)
Thanks for stopping by and sharing the trip with me! Linda
Sep 17, 2009 |
Just had to share how Stampin’ Up went all out for us tonight. The tables and chairs were dressed in a celery satin:
The chargers are terracotta planter bottoms (my brain is not pulling up the correct name for those) There was a stamped card and napkin ring:
And our pillow gift tonight! A new stamp set along with ribbons and markers!
We have our make and takes tomorrow – I’m sure these will come in handy!
Oct 13, 2008
Hi Stampers! Here are more of my Holiday swaps from the Founder’s Trip! p.s. If you want to see what fun Matt and I had this weekend, visit his page on the blog!
(All images are copyright Stampin’ Up! All supplies are Stampin’ Up!)
I think this was my favorite of the swaps! Stamped by Giorgia Giguere, using the Top Note Die to frame their picture. It was printed in a sepia tone and mounted under the Chocolate Chip frame. Baja Breeze is the main card and a Baja Breeze die cut snowflake.
Stamped by Michele M. Smith from TX. Stamp sets “A Flower For all Seasons” and “Short and Sweet” . The base of the card is Kiwi Kiss. She used the Riding Hood Red Taffeta ribbon and cs for the circle. Markers to color in. I thought matching up that stamp with our designer paper “Holiday Treasures” was very smart!
Stamped by ? There wasn’t a name on the back! Adorable little card though. The base of the card is Certainly Celery cardstock and it is layered with Bashful Blue. The stamp set is “Merry and Bright”
Stamped by Debbie Moczek. The base of the card is Riding Hood Red. Then she folded a white card, trimmed down a bit and cut a circle out of the front of the card. There is some glitter and the taffeta ribbon tied through the circle and side of card. Stamp set is “Holy Triptych”
Stamped by Jen Jacobsen. “Deer Friends” L2 hostess set. This is one you almost have to have in your hand to see how it opens. The red layer is actually the card and is held shut with the slit punch. It is mounted on kraft cardstock.
Stamped by Natalie Travis. This is a great workshop card! “Bold Snowflakes” jumbo wheel is rolled with Bravo Burgundy (I think) on white cardstock. Then I think she swiped a Mellow Moss ink pad across it for the striae effect. The base of the card is Always Artichoke and layered with burgundy cardstock. The tag is punched out of Kraft cs. I love our new striped ribbon from the Holiday Mini Catalog called “Alpine”
Stamped by Beckie Kareck. The base of the card is Pacific Point (the darker blue) and then she cut the Top Note Die frame with the Baja Breeze, so the darker blue is recessed. Does that make sense? The tree is embossed white on Kiwi and cut out. For the snow on the bottom, it smells like shaving cream and some glitter!
Stamped by Stella MacKay. It’s nice to see some Glorious Green this year! And a creative use of the Top Note Sizzix die. “Season of Joy” stamp set.
Stamped by Cindy Fodor. The main card is Baja Breeze with snowflakes stamped in white craft ink. The snowman is stamped in Baja Breeze, layered with Riding Hood Red and Chocolate Chip. “Holiday Treasures” Designer paper, Riding Hood Red Taffeta ribbon. Stamp set is “Two Cool Dudes”
Stamped by Janet Wakeland. I’m a big fan of the Pacific Blue, but this card really showcases it! She used textured cardstock and used our new big circle punch on the front of the card. Not sure if you can see it, but the image in the circle is a metal edged tag. The layer on the front is Baja Breeze and has a piece of Kiwi striped ribbon under it. Stamp set is from the Holiday Mini Catalog, “Season of Simple Grace”
Stamped by Susy Miller. Stamp set: Christmas Classics”. Riding Hood Red and Baja Breeze. The texture on the card you see (ok, squint a little, it’s there) is possible Twill with versamark. Nice extra touch. Also the bell is stamped again in Baja Breeze on a scrap of white and punched out with our 1/2″ circle punch and popped up with a dimensional.
Stamped by Kimberly Van Diepen. I like how she created a card that looks like a package to give someone! Stamp Set is “Curly Label Punch Bundle” with the coordinating punch. (love that, no need to cut it out) “Holiday Treasures” designer paper and “Snow Swirled” versamarked in the background on Riding Hood Red cs. It’s hard to see here, but the label is glittered also.
Sep 21, 2008
It is our last day here in St. George and I am looking forward to go home but hate to leave all this fun, too! Today I had zero plans made and slept in a bit and went down for my last breakfast buffet. (I’m gonna have to juice for a week to detox after all of non-stop grazing I have done!) Had a great time eating outside on the veranda (didn’t have my camera or I would have shown you the pretty view) and a bunch of us sat around the table and brainstormed a bit about our businesses. I have learned so much from hearing what other demos do!
Georgia asked Jan and I if we wanted to go somewhere fun with her. She said it was a surprise and to trust her so we did and what a fun time we had! Susan Adams, a demo who is here at Founders and lives 5 minutes from here, had a bunch of us over to her place to stamp and make these:
Georgia had made them the day before and already had the fabric. The other side is red fabrics and says Joyful so you can reverse it. See all the little scallops along the border? We used Susan’s Big Shot and the pennant die to cut out ALL of those pieces!
Here is Georgia on the left and Susan (the hostess) on the right. Susan’s husband built her this amazing stamp room where she can have her classes. It is a happy, creative place! Just a note – Susan and I hadn’t met before today and yet she said c’mon over!
This lovable face greeted us at the door – Her name is Journey. I just wanted to take her home with me!
Jan had a heck of a time with the sewing machine! She was a trooper and finished her banner but I chickened out and decided to sew mine at home. With my luck, I was afraid I’d break Susan’s machine and the pressure got to me!
Here are a few pics of the rest of the girls there. Click to enlarge…
After all that creativity being spent, we were hungry and shared some appetizers at Iggy’s. We didn’t want to eat much since we were told we they arranged a special dinner for our last night.
Stampin’ Up told us that we ALL needed to be in the lobby at 6 p.m. for a surprise event. The only details and instrutions we were given: wear closed-toed shoes, bring a jacket since we would be outside, and that our group picture would be taken.
We got on our buses and yes, we were on our little short bus! We drove about 20 minutes to a breathtaking place called The Inn at Entrada. (hope I got that right)
This is what we saw as we got off the bus:
Walking over a little bridge
And up the walkway I saw these table with luminaries
and then I heard squeals of delight as they found a gift on every chair,..
A scrumptiously soft chenille blanket!
and another thoughtful note.
There was a popcorn and candy stand and I KNEW we were going to watch a movie outside! If you look closely or click to enlarge, you can see the Designer Paper cones that the popcorn went in! There was a huge screen and we watched “No Reservations”, a sweet movie with Catherine Zeta Jones as a chef.
I realized that my 10 year anniversary with Stampin’ Up was during this Founder’s Trip! I told Shelli that and we laughed that it only took 10 years to get here but I never want to miss another one!
Thanks for reading along with me the last 4 days!
Linda Heller
Sep 20, 2008
Last post of the day!
It’s about 9:30 pm and I was feeling like something sweet so I ran down to the Gathering Place to raid the Jelly Belly Jar!
Seriously, shouldn’t we all have cute candy jars like these at home?
I caught up with Debbie Naylor and Denise Jorgenson stamping in their jammies! (at least she kept her eyes open for the camera – why do I always manage to blink at exactly the same time as the shutter?!)
