Stampin' Up! Convention 2011

Hi there! I have been wanting to share with you some pictures from my trip to the Stampin' Up! convention but I was waiting for my goodies to arrive via UPS. You see, I received so much free stuff, and did a little too much shopping in momento mall to bring it all home in my suitcase so I had to send it via UPS from Salt Lake City! Crazy huh!?!

The day I left for Salt Lake City I met a new friend at the airport. Her name is Donna and she was also on her way to convention. She lives only about a half hour away from me! How wonderful is that! Anyways, we took the shuttle from the airport to the hotels together and made plans to meet up at the convention center to catch the bus to the Riverton Campus... aka Stampin' Up! warehouse and home offices. Isn't it a lovely building with a marvelous view!

 Me, posing at the "Stampin' Up! rock."

 Me again... in the foyer of the Riverton Campus building. It is such a beautiful place to work. I think I would apply for a job here if I lived in Salt Lake City. It was amazing!

In the lower level of the Riverton Campus building is the distribution center. What a sight! I would have loved to poke around there and see how they store everything... but I am just curious like that!

At the convention center we picked up our bags which were full of goodies! The bag itself is beautifully embroidered with a lovely silver "Stampin' Up!" logo tag. It is the perfect size for taking make-n-takes to a workshop.

A peek at all the goodies I received from Stampin' Up! for attending convention.



A closer look at some of the smaller things... that is two packages of baker's twine, two packages of rhinestones, a roll of sticky strip, a box of glue dots, a tombow multi-purpose glue, a great pen and a pin.

Every time I turned around it seemed Stampin' Up! was giving us more awesome gifts! The one in front is one of the new Simply Scrappin' kits which is so adorable. The others are various kits such as make-n-takes and hostess gifts! Stampin' Up! is very generous! 

 The stamp sets I received.

This amazing binder was also in my convention bag. It came with a 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog that had the spine removed and was hole punched to fit perfectly into the three ring binder. It also came with dividers with tabs and pockets!

 Having lunch with my new friends Donna and Jill. I am so happy I met them and look forward to seeing Jill next year at convention and Donna much sooner as she lives relatively close by! Yippee!!

 This group of ladies was so wonderful to spend time with. When they heard I was attending by myself they invited me into their group and I can honestly say I was never alone and always in great company. Thanks Becky, Jill, Donna and Gwen! You girls are the best!!

 Oh my goodness! You should have heard the commotion in this room! This is the main stage at the convention center. It is where all general sessions were held and lots of great new products and ideas where shared with us as well as many of the freebies they gave us. It was always full of energy in here!

While at convention I was recognized for my sales achievements. I was invited to walk across the main stage and given a pin and another free stamp set. Woohoo! I love being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator!

Next year I hope to attend convention with my own group of girls! If you would like to join my team, now is the time to do so! There is just one week left to take advantage of Stampin' Up!'s amazing promotion. 

Well thanks for stopping by today and taking a walk down Stampin' Up! Convention memory lane with me! I hope you have a wonderful day.

~Sara~

Take a Spin with Me!

Hi there! Happy Monday! I have just gotten back from the Stampin' Up! convention is sunny Salt Lake City, Utah and wow!! It was amazing! I have been a demonstrator for four years now and I had never attended convention but I can not imagine NOT attending convention every year going forward. It was just an awesome experience! Loads of free products, great new ideas, and memorable moments with new friends. I can't say enough!

Today I created a card using this weeks Mojo Monday sketch. It is just a great way to get the creative juices flowing on a Monday morning. I paired the Take a Spin stamp set with the new Over the Top Birthday dsp, which I am loving for summery fun cards! Look closely and you will see all of the fun coloring I did on the stamp before and after stamping it onto whisper white cardstock.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful week!

~Sara~

Amazing $99 Starter Kit Offer!

Amazing $99 Starter Kit Offer!

Order Starter Kit Now

Dates: From now until July 31, 2011

Promotion Details: A limited-time $99 Starter Kit ($180 Value--See Kit Contents below!) is the perfect choice for the hobby stamper and lover of Stampin' Up! products.  

• SAVE!!! Enjoy the new Stampin' Up! 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog using a one-time 30%
  
  
  Off Start Up Discount on product orders of $150 or more (placed within 45 days of start).

• Get 20% off future Stampin' Up! orders, lots of exclusive resources and the opportunity to pre-order new products.

• Receive Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Discounts and Benefits through Dec. 31, 2011 with NO obligation to to purchase anything further or hold a workshop.

• There's no penalty to drop.  You keep everything.

PLUS Get a Christmas Keepsake project kit (example below) absolutely FREE--a $40 value! This exclusive kit contains everything you need to create a beautiful Christmas Keepsake Box to hold your most treasured Christmas memories. It will be available with your first demonstrator order in August and must be redeemed by Sept. 30.

$99 Starter Kit Contents

Contains over $180 in products and business supplies--including new products from the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog! You CAN substitute a similar item of equal or lesser value for items as noted in SECTION A, except for the Blender Pen.  Wood-mount stamps can be replaced with clear-mount and clear-mount can be replaced with wood-mount . . . as long as the value of the original kit item is of equal or less value.

SECTION A

Page	Item	Description
57	123225	Easy Events Clear-Mount Set* or your choice of stamp set to $24.95
69	122740	Pennant Parade Wood-Mount Set* or your choice of stamp set to $21.95
177	102277	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad or your choice of Classic Ink Pad color to $5.95
177	105216	Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad or your choice of Classic Ink Pad color to $5.95
177	103133	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad or your choice of Classic Ink Pad color to $5.95
177	119706	Brights 8-1/2" x 11" Assorted Card Stock or your choice of Assorted 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock to $6.95
180	101179	Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad or your choice of Classic Ink Pad color to $5.95
182	107311	Whisper White Note Cards (20) or envelope product to $6.95
185	124339	Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper* or your choice of DSP to $10.95
195	124142	Chocolate Chip 1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon* or your choice of ribbon to $7.95
203	122129	Blender Pen (1).  No alternative selection.
205	118486	Clear-Mount Block C or your choice of clear block to $6.95
206	104332	SNAIL Adhesive or your choice of adhesive to $6.95

*New to the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog!

SECTION B
Business Supplies
The business supplies in these promotional mini kits will be the same business supplies that are in existing starter kits; no alternative selections can be made for business items.

• Getting Started DVD
• Getting Started Guide
• Guest Invitation Postcards (100)
• 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog (8)
• 2011 Summer Mini Catalog (8)
• Stampin' Up! logo vinyl
• Décor Elements applicator
• To My Hostess Envelopes (10)
• My Digital Studio Marketing DVD
• Recruit Folders (5)
• Recruit Brochures (20)
• Customer Order Forms (50)

OPTIONAL ADD-ONS:

Stampin' Memories Add-On $50 (over $75 value)

• 119710 Brights Assorted Color Smooth Card Stock 12 x 12 OR Assorted Color Smooth Card Stock 12 x 12, $9.95 or less
• 122790 Empire Upper Alphabet Stamp Set OR Stamp Set $31.95 or less
• 122368 Big Top Birthday Quick Accents OR any Quick Accents
• 122348 Big Top Birthday Designer Series Paper OR any Designer Series Paper to $10.95
• 105387 Linen Ring Album (6" x 6") Real Red OR Album $16.95 or less

My Digital Studio Add-On $50 (over $75 value)

• 118108 My Digital Studio Software CD (p.6)

Definitely Decorative Add-On $40 (over $50 value)

• 118261 Elegant Trio Décor Stencil OR Stencil $9.95 or less
• 114115 Chocolate Manhattan Flower Décor Elements OR Décor Elements $23.95 or less
• 117922 Upsy Daisies Pretty in Pink Décor Elements (3) OR Décor Elements $9.95 or less
• 121019 Oval Chalkboard Labels (3) OR Décor Elements $5.95 or less
• 114893 Chocolate Flower Décor Elements (8) OR Rose Red Flower Décor Elements (115161)

NOTE:  Stampin' Memories, My Digital Studio and Definitely Decorative Add-Ons must be ordered in conjunction with the starter kit.

Have a question about the $99 kit or joining the Stampin' Up! family?  
Email me for a prompt response. I would love to have you join my team!

Back in the game!

Good morning! It is so nice to be "back in the game" participating in the Mojo Monday card sketch! It has been way too long since I have found time to participate but I must say I really enjoyed making this card this morning and hope to be back to participating regularly! My dear friend Lynn told me about a website called The Daily Dare that posts all of the current daily challenges from all over the world wide web! So if you are ever looking for some inspiration check it out!

On to my card... I used the Flirtatious Specialty dsp and coordinating Delicate Doilies stamp set as well as the Pretty postage stamp set. The colors I used today are pretty in pink, whisper white and pumpkin pie. I used the Tasteful Trim dies (of course) to make the wide scallop border, white satin 5/8" ribbon and finished it off with a dainty brad from the Antique Brads collection.

The punches are as follows... 2 3/8" scallop cirlce, 2" circle, 1 3/4" circle and then 1 3/4" scallop circle, 1 3/8" circle and finally 1 1/4" circle.

Thanks for stopping by... have a wonderful day!

~Sara~

Phew! Coming up for air!

Hi there, gosh what a busy time I have been having! I now have 75 cards ready to swap at the Stampin' Up! Convention on Wednesday, I am ready for my stamp club on Tuesday, and my scrapbook room is clean! Yippee!!

Wanna see what my scrappin' space looks like when it is clean?!?

It is so much nicer to work in a clean space! I usually don't let it get so messy but I had been crazy busy working on swaps. The last straw was being caught by my husband squatting over my guillotine cutter on the floor because my counter top was so cluttered there was no room for it! He said, "Wouldn't it be easier to just make some room on your counter?" Uhm... NO! I needed everything exactly where it was of course! The day I cleaned it he came in and said, "Wow! I forgot how big this room actually is!" Gotta love that man :)

So I am going to show you the swaps I have completed so far and then I am going to get busy creating the last one so I can mass produce it tomorrow and be done with them!

I made two that are very similar. I just ran out of one of the papers in the Just Add Cake dsp pack so I switched it up a little. I used the Create a Cupcake stamp set and Cupcake Builder punch.

Same card, different color. I like this one a little better but that is probably because green is my favorite color.

This is my favorite one I made so far. I used the Flirtatious Specialty dsp, the Butterfly Prints and Bring on the Cake stamp sets and of course the butterfly punch. The new Wisteria Wonder is a great addition to Stampin' Up!'s color palette... so pretty!

The last card I have made to swap is this kind of masculine card. I used the Pocketful of Posies dsp and the Pretty Postage stamp set. Some of these sketches will probably look familar because I have used each of them recently. That is something I like about a great card sketch, you can use it over and over and over again... and I do!

Well thanks for stopping by today. Perhaps I will have time for Mojo Monday tomorrow. It has been a really long time since I have played along with those girls and I am missing it!

See you soon!

~Sara~

Christmas in July

Good morning! Gosh I am having such a hard time coming back from vacation! I can't seem to get myself out of bed before 9am and I am almost always up between 6 and 7am... it is kinda nice to sleep in but I always feel like I have wasted those hours. I'm kinda crazy like that!

So we got back in from Utah on Saturday night... well it was actually Sunday morning by the time we arrived home. When our plane arrived in Detroit there were severe storms happening so we had to circle, and circle, and circle the airport some more until our plane was running low on fuel at which time they flew us over to Grand Rapids to refuel before taking us back to Detroit to land... it was a crazy looooooooong flight! But we did arrive safe and sound and for that I am thankful :) Sunday night we went to Jackson, Michigan to watch the fireworks at Ella Sharp Park. That is about an hour from my home so another after midnight kind of night and then on Monday night we stayed up late again doing fireworks at home with our kids... more sleeping ensued!

Yesterday I scrambled out of bed around 10am and had to get busy getting ready for stamp club last night. It was a nice evening stampin' with friends, we made a super cute card. I was thinking "Christmas in July" when I designed the card. The stamp set is from the brand spankin' new Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog which is now available to order from!! So many wonderful new products to choose from!

A couple of the highlights on this card are the wide scalloped ric rac and the cork (Stampin' Up! sells thin sheets of cork!) scalloped border... both created with the awesome Tasteful Trim sizzix die... I am still loving it! The paper is from the Just Add Cake dsp pack, at first look you certainly do not think Christmas with this paper but it works. I am a sucker for snowmen and Stampin' Up! did not disappoint with the new stamp set Snow Much Fun, it has adorable images perfect for coloring! The white/brown bakers twine, which I also love, has also been added to the new catalog... thank you Stampin' Up!

Today I also wanted to let you know about a ribbon share I am doing. There are some great new ribbons in the 2011~2012 Idea Book and Catalog and I want to give you a chance to have them all without buying a whole roll of each. Here is the low down...

NEW 2011 RIBBON SHARE DETAILS:

each person will receive the following new ribbon sampler:
1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon (pg 195)

• 2 yards Basic Black
• 2 yards Cherry Cobbler
• 2 yards Chocolate Chip
• 2 yards Elegant Eggplant
• 2 yards Marina Mist
• 2 yards Melon Mambo
• 2 yards More Mustard
• 2 yards Old Olive
• 2 yards Pretty in Pink
• 2 yards Tangerine Tango 

3/8" Ruffled Ribbon (pg 194)

• 2 yards Calypso Coral
• 2 yards Island Indigo
• 2 yards Lucky Limeade
• 2 yards Pool Party
• 2 yards Wisteria Wonder

3/8" Denim Jean Ribbon (pg 194)

• 2 yards Artichoke
• 2 yards Blue

Cost for all 34 yards of ribbon is: $35.00

INSTRUCTIONS TO JOIN THE SHARE:

Ribbon share only available to US addresses.
After emailing me at sara.rimmelzwaan@live.com with your interest in this share INCLUDING YOUR PAYPAL EMAIL ADDRESS, your name, address and phone number, I will confirm with you when I have a group of 5 people to share this ribbon, I will email you a paypal invoice, then I will order it from Stampin' Up! and divide and package it and mail the share back out to you.  Please note this could take a week to 10 days for this process plus shipping time.  All orders shipped USPS 1st class mail in a bubble mailer.

I will do my best to get this product out to you as soon as possible, but please note that I will be away from July 13 to 16 at the Stampin' Up! Convention and will not be able to process these orders during that time.

Please email me with any questions you have!

Wow! What a long post today! I better get going, my craft room is a disaster area... take a look for yourself!

Must go find a shovel! Have a wonderful day... thanks for stopping by!

~Sara~

Sitting here waiting...

Hi there, I thought I might try to get in another post while I am sitting here waiting for everyone to get ready to head out for Arches National Park. Yesterday we took a morning horseback ride through the red cliffs of Moab. We rode the same trails that John Wayne rode while in Moab filming various western movies. Along the way we saw a few collard lizards, a fox, a dessert squirrel, and some deer as well as the amazing scenery of the red cliffs. At one point I asked our guide how high up we were and she said about 5,500 ft! It was a bit nerve racking being on a horses back as it climbed up and up the rocky cliffs but the view was spectacular! Here are some of the pictures I took... enjoy!

Due to the extraordinarily slow WI-FI connection we have here at the condo this post was actually started yesterday while I was sitting here waiting but when I started uploading the photos it just ground to a halt and I never got back to my computer as it was a really fun full day! I'll work on the post from yesterday's adventures in a bit. I hope you are enjoying tagging along on my Colorado ~ Utah vacation!

~Sara~