2014 Founders Circle Day 3

founders 2014

Day 3 Friday of the Stampin’ Up Founders was a FULL day!  I had to be down to breakfast at 6 am so we could leave the hotel for the annual Kanab tour.  That’s the place where all the stamps, ink and paper are made.  The employees all stand outside and wave us in and it’s a real welcoming.  This year some of the demonstrators decided it was time to shower the employees with treats, thank you cards & signs and I could tell they were really touched!

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Seeing the massive stacks of paper being cut down then sorted is always fascinating to me!

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from this to this:

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We see the whole process of stamp, from start to finish.  At one point the rubber has to be cut before it’s burned and made into a stamp. This guy’s blade was cutting SO fast!

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This is a huge vat of Stampin Mist before it fills the bottles!

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Below you can see the rubber coming out of the oven with the images on it.  They have to cool and then be cut.

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Connie Stewart gets put to work cutting the extra rubber off the stamp sets to make ’em pretty

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I think if I chose a job there, I’d like to assemble the ink pads.  She puts in a special glue and adheres the inked foam to the case.  There’s a machine that puts on the stickers so I wouldn’t have to do that part:)

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SU had a make and take area where we made pages for a holiday Project Life kit.  I’m going to try to finish that today and show you later.

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Shelli is always on hand to chat at  Kanab. (my good buddy Patsy Waggoner is on the right) Shelli sat at our table at lunch and it was great to catch up. She is feeling great, almost good as new and happy to be here this year.

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Taking a pic at the rock is an annual thing and this year we had a surprise visitor from SU photo bombing our pics!

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Then of course we have to visit the SU park with all the rubber chips!

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Gorgeous place, isn’t it?

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Getting to know Brian King has been an extra fun thing this year. He is truly a gem of a guy as well as a talented artist.

I had some other photos with friends but the sun was not cooperating and they didn’t turn out so well!

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Then in the evening, lots of us headed to the Tuacahn amphitheater to see the Wizard of Oz

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The setting is spectacular but it was a bit warm this time and quite long…could have been the long day at the factory but it was tough keeping my eyes open once it got dark!

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I know you love to see some swaps so here are a few!  The one above is by Kelly Acheson. Lots of you have the Scattered stamp set in the Holiday catty. I like how she cut off the edges of the love stamp here.

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Patsy Waggoner did this cute card with the Holiday Home set

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I liked the way Jennifer Cotton stamped the wreath in Smoky Slate light gray and then embossed just the top layer of leaves in Silver!

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That’s it for me!  I hope you find time to stamp today!

Linda

2014 Founders Circle Day 1&2

founders 2014

I’m having a relaxing time here in St. George, Utah, at the Stampin’ Up Founder’s Circle retreat!

  I’m grateful to have earned it again this year and it’s a way that SU rewards those in the top 100 demonstrators in US and Canada.

The theme this year is Home for the Holidays and it feels like 30 degrees inside (even though it’s 93 outside here!)

Lots of decorated pine trees and wintery displays!

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LOTS of treats, a mug to choose and of course stamping!

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My good friend and up, upline Karen Titus catching up and showing off our prize.

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Quite the spread SU put out for us while we were stamping!

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We do have permission to share these sneak peeks from our pillow gifts last night!  These 4 word thinlits and the photopolymer stamp set will be in the next mini catalog (about 3 months from now)

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Here are our make and takes today.  The 3 tags are in little pouches 🙂

The THANKS is cut with the thinlit from white cs, then under it is another white cs that I scribbled with 3 colors of the Blendies, so the color pops thru.

Tonight was our PJ party and Swap night!

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After the swap we all got sugared up on cookies and milk, then we sat around and went through our 113 swaps!

Swapping in our PJs is a tradition.  Jill Olsen and I obviously have great taste in PJ’s:)

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Good times, good friends….Thanks for the laughs Frenchie!

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And yes, our first guy at Founders, donned PJs too! I’ve already gotten 2 texts asking what Brian wore so he struck a pose:

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113 swaps all piled on my bed.

I can’t wait to really look through them all again!  Just gorgeous, each and every one!

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Tomorrow we tour the Kanab manufacturing plant.  It’s always a treat to see how stamps are born from start to finish.  I never get tired of seeing the magic happen!

Go stamp something!

Linda