Hiking

We did some hiking over the weekend with our friends Gabi & Walter.  It’s been forever since I did that much hiking and my body told me so too!  I’m still trying to recover from it.  I can’t say it was ALL work, we certainly enjoyed some playtime too.  We had great outdoor picnics in the middle of rolling hills for our lunch. Luckily, at the end of our hike we found this great little cabin which served food and beverages with chairs and tables.  We were overjoyed!  

Stampin’ Up! Featured in Newspaper Article

Photo by Michael Brandy, Deseret News

I normally don’t share these type of things on my blog but I thought the reporter captured the essence of Stampin’ Up! and the new objective which is to Inspire. Create. Share. 

The article and pictures give you a good idea what convention was like.  Nicely done article.  Here is an excerpt:

When it comes to the art and craft of stamping, the theme of this year’s national Stampin’ Up! convention says it all, says Shelli Gardner, co-founder and CEO of the 20-year-old company.

Card-making, scrapbooking, home decor, gift items, apparel — whatever you do, however you find your creative outlet, she says, your life can be enriched.

Through these crafts, “you create tangible products, but you create something of value on many levels,” Gardner says.

Continue…

How to earn extra income as a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator while your children are at soccer practice

We are a generation of multi-taskers. We are on the go. We talk on the cell phone while waiting in line for our coffee. We type notes on our laptops while waiting for doctor’s appointments. We busily jot down ideas on napkins while we are at our child’s soccer games.

As women and as mothers we are great at using every moment we have to the best of our abilities. Why not apply those talents we have into a second income? Combining our talent for getting things done and our love for crafting is easy to multi-task our way into an extra income.

Here are seven ways we can use those lag times to generate interest in Stampin’ Up, to learn more about the business and to network.

#7 – Brainstorm. We all know those ideas which are the best ideas come to us at the strangest times. During a soccer game, waiting in the grocery checkout line and while we wait for the child’s dentist appointment are moments when we can brainstorm and plan stamping and scrapbook ideas. Be prepared by keeping a notebook and pen in your bag. You may just jot down a sentence or you may be able to outline a whole idea. You never know what your brain will come up with!

#6 – Connect with customers. With everyone having cell phones it is easy to use a few of those extra moments to connect with customers. Make a few phone calls as follow ups. Book parties with new hosts. Keep in touch with previous guests and customers. You can schedules classes or invite customers to an open house.

#5 – Plan your next workshop. Get out your notebook and work out the details for your next workshop. You can make list of the project you want to demonstrate. List what you will need, who you will invite. You can make a detail list right down to the deadlines you need to work within.

#4 – Review techniques or learn new ones. Bring along a copy of Stampin’ Success®, Stampin’ Up’s monthly newsletter. It is filled with techniques, ideas and tips. Learn the latest. Bring along older editions to brush up on techniques from past issues.

#3 – Plug into your iPod. Stampin’ Up has audio resources available for download. Put these on your iPod or MP3 player. You can listen to them when you are waiting for an appointment, when you are exercising or even in your car. You will pick up techniques and tips for stamping and scrapbooking as well as for your business.

#2 – Network with others. While you are at a soccer practice or game, at the doctor’s office or waiting in line at the grocery store, be prepared to network with other parents and women. You never know where a potential Stampin’ Up customer may be lurking. Having your business card, mini catalog and information at your finger tips is a must.

#1 – Plan a Mom-time project. Are there moms you see at every event, such as soccer, dance or scouts? Ask them if they would be interested in a Mom-time project. See what kind of project they are interested in and help them plan it. Make it an event for the moms of the group.

Where ever you are, whatever you are doing you can turn it into a Stampin’ Up moment. As a Stampin’ Up demonstrator you can share your talent and your love of crafting with others. Help others get their creative flow. Show them how to preserve the memories of their kids with stamps and scrapbooks. You can show them how they can make money with Stampin’ Up as well.

It is even easier to share your love of crafting when Stampin’ Up is offering a mini-starter kit. For those looking for a small startup cost in these tight times, this is the answer. For an extremely low price you get the For All You Do Stamp Kit, 6 different colored stamp pads and a variety of white and colored card stock.

This “mini” kit is far from mini when it comes to the ideas which can be generated. Think of all those times when you wanted to make up a card for someone special in your life who is just always there and doing for you. You can use the stamps in page layouts for scrapbook pages for Moms, Dads and all those special people in your life. The ideas are endless.

All that and you will be joining the Stampin’ Up family and earning money while you are at your child’s soccer game. Stamping and scrapbooking are so easy to share. Everyone wants to be a part of preserving memories and passing on good cheer through cards. Take advantage of the mini-starter kit and get started today!

New Crafting Trends

In early August, new products, hot trends, and creative projects were shared with demonstrators at the Stampin’ Up! annual convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. Stampin’ Up! is leading the trends in the crafting world. Many of the products and trends highlighted at this year’s convention will be released next month. All I can say is you will be delightfully surprised at what Stampin’ Up!
has in store for you.

Do-it-yourself home parties are making a comeback. Not only are they less expensive but they deliver a personalization that you just can’t buy. Stampin’ Up! has delivered two wonderful products (Pirate Time & Princess Time) which were released in July. These kits are featured in the kids’ birthday collection found in the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog on pages 74-75. In September, Stampin’ Up! will release the Build-A-Bear Workshop line of products. This is the first time Build-A-Bear has offered their products to the crafting market. Please see below for more details.

Our new In Colors® are right in trend with today’s hottest colors. I think you will be hard pressed not to see Rich Razzleberry on your next shopping trip. This color is taking the fashion world and crafting world by storm. Home decorating is still very popular, too. Stampin’ Up! is continuing to grow their home décor line — Décor Elements — as well as our exclusive Sizzix die lines just in time for the holidays.

Digital scrapbooking, or hybrid scrapbooking, has been growing in popularity for the last several years. I’m happy to announce that Stampin’ Up! will be entering this growing market with our exclusive My Digital Studio® in the very near future.  I can’t wait to share all of these new and exciting trends and products with you. 

I’ll be sharing Sneak Peeks of all these items with my Inspiration Club Members.

Are you in the pictures?

Mom and I in 1987

This great article posted on the Pioneer Woman made me think of my own shyness to be in the picture. But not anymore. 

What changed for me was about 10 years ago.  My Grandmother and I took a train trip across Canada.  It was a FABULOUS trip and I have some really fond memories because every night we would journal our adventures through video recordings.  Did I look wonderful in the video?  No, far from it.  But that’s me.  I don’t wear makeup when I travel or fuss over my clothing and that was caputured on video.  And you know what?….I’m proud of it!  I much rather BE in the experience and capture the moment just as they are.  

This is a picture of my Mom and I at my favorite place – Disneyland.  This picture was taken about a year before she died.  I love this picture of us for so many reasons.  I wouldn’t say it is the best picture of either of us.  However, I forgot about our fondness for big sunglasses at the time and we both loved wearing pink.  You forget those things unless you can see the picture.  

But because I wasn’t shy I now have the video that I can watch over and over again and experience the fun again and again.   Taking pictures of yourself and others captures life.  What’s more important than that?

German Language Video

I spend a lot of time in Germany. I crack up every time I see this video so I thought I would share it with you.

Meet Stampin’ Up!’s CEO Shelli Garner and her Story

Get to know Shelli Gardner, cofounder and CEO of Stampin’ Up!, as she shares her story with KSL Studio 5 hosts Brooke Walker and Darin Adams.

Get in the Picture

Pioneer Woman has photography advice I think everyone should hear and take note of. She says it so much better than I could so just go read it now please!

Make sure you have kleenex handy!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/2009/05/snap-out-of-it/

she’s on Twitter as well @thepioneerwoman

Crafters Choose Stampin’ Up!

2008 was another great year for Stampin’ Up! in the annual Creating Keepsakes Readers’ Choice awards. As a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator I’m proud to announce that for the tenth year in a row, the crafting community voted our rubber stamps among the products it likes best. Our Write Me a Memory Font CD and our Idea Book & Catalog won their categories as well. Creating Keepsakes also recognized several of our other accessories, including our Watercolor Pencils, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Stampin’ Write markers, and punches, as finalists. More Details

Crafters also choose Sizzix as a number one in the “Die-Cut & Laser-Cut Shapes & Equipment and Embossing Stencils Category. As a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator, I offer products from the two leaders in the crafting industry.

10 Reasons to Scrapbook

Let’s scrapbook! It’s National Scrapbook Month! It is time to gather up your supplies or acquire new ones and get creative with your memories. Here are 10 great reasons to get out those pictures this month and get scrapbooking!

One – With time memories fade. Pictures are a way to remember those precious moments in time. Let’s face it, many times we forget where pictures were taken or who they are of. Was that cousin Maude or Jane? Scrapbooking gives us the memories in pictures and in journaling. Years from now you and those you love will see the picture, read the words and experience the memory all over again without having to wonder.

Two – Preserving Family History. There are events in our history we want to preserve forever. Weddings and births, graduations and baptisms, family reunions and anniversaries, these are all things we want to preserve along with the little everyday events that happen. We all have those boxes of photos stashed away, each photos and memory fading more with each passing year. Scrapbooking helps us make a record of and save all the important events in ours and our family’s lives. We create scrapbooks which will be passed down from generation to generation.

Three – Sharing Stories and Thoughts. Scrapbooking brings out our journalist sides. It helps us to tell stories. We can share stories of an event in pictures alone or with our written words. We can share how we felt at that very moment. Looking at a picture is only part of the story. Hearing the emotions and thoughts behind the events adds depth.

Four - Creative Outlet. Creating scrapbook pages is creating art. We like to be able to express ourselves in various ways. You can give two people the same pictures and supplies and you will end up with two different pages. Scrapbooking is a creative outlet. It helps the person express themselves and their individuality.

Five – Social Interaction. There is nothing like sitting around with friends and sharing a good cup of coffee or tea and chatting about memories or ideas. Take it just a step further and you have a group of friends sitting around with pictures and scrapbook supplies, sharing memories and ideas for preserving the moment and building new memories. You can even join a scrapbook club and make new friends with similar interests. Scrapbooking is about social interaction and sharing. Even after your scrapbook is complete you share it with others.

Six – Stress Relief. Many of us are stressed. Day to day life can leave us stressed and anxious. We all need to find outlets for stress. Scrapbooking can be a stress relief in many different ways. Scrapbooking helps us look back at happy times with friends and family. Creating art is a very good method of stress relief. Knowing our memories are now organized for future generations gives us joy and peace of mind. They are no longer stuffed in a photo box hidden out of sight, but graciously displayed giving us a sense of accomplishment.

Seven – Great Gifts. It is often said the best gifts are handmade. What better handmade gift than one with a memory of a wonderful moment attached? Scrapbooking talents can transform precious memories and ho-hum pictures into beautiful displays of artwork. Scrapbook gifts are truly gifts from the heart which become keepsakes of future generations.

Eight – Connecting. Like they say, no one is an island. Scrapbooking gives us the connection to family and friends. Sometimes, all our children have are pictures of relatives. Help your children connect with long-distance relations. Make a family scrapbook and have everyone contribute photos and memories. Bringing out your scrapbook and sharing it with others makes the connection even sweeter. It’s a wonderful tradition.

Nine – Challenging. Scrapbooking is an ever evolving art form. As you learn new methods and skills you will see yourself grow as a scrapbook artist. You can take my classes or join in on crops.

Ten – Organization. Many of us long to be more organized. Organizing our photos and memories can be part of organization. We all have those boxes of photos stashed away-somewhere. Do you even know where they are? Scrapbooking can help you organize those boxes. Scrapbooking will help you create an organization method of collecting and presenting all your precious memories.

Scrapbooking is a craft form which has really come into its own in the past decade. We now have great supplies which will help us preserve our family photos and memories. Gone are the days of yellowed pages and sticky albums. We now offer our Stampin’ Memories’ products that help you create quick and easy pages which are appealing and safely preserve your photos.

These are only 10 reasons you may want to scrapbook. Take a look at your photos. With each memory you will find more reasons to scrapbook, sons, daughters, moms, dads, sisters and brothers, the list of reasons go on.

Kindle 2

Gotta tell you. I just love my new Kindle 2. I had been waiting and watching the Kindle product for over a year now and finally decided to make the plunge and purchase it. I’m so happy I did.

It is so easy to read from and the automatic purchase and download has been a BIG plus. Who knew I needed all those books I just purchased. The biggest thing I enjoy about my new Kindle is I can read from anywhere. I like to snuggle up in a corner by the fire or outside on the patio. I can read without my arms getting tired or my eyes straining. I can hold the Kindle in my left hand or my right hand. It’s just perfect in any body position, sitting up, laying down. Now to get my college books published in the new Kindle format.

A Healthy Habit

Right now, everyone is looking for ways to get more value from the all-mighty dollar. Sometimes people are sacrificing their health in the process. Worry and stress over what to do and what not to do, can wear on people’s health. Are you in this situation? We all need ways to relax and unwind. When you feel good, others around you will notice. Feeling good is contagious. Finding a way to relax and express yourself helps you and those around you. You must be willing to invest in yourself.

Many therapists would agree self-expression in the form of art is a healthy habit. Many even use some form of art in their own therapy practices. The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) believes making art is a life enhancement and a form of healing. It is a form of self-expression which allows us to get our feelings and emotions out. When we make art we are sharing ourselves with others.

So what’s a girl to do? Rubber stamping is a versatile and healthy creative outlet because stamping is a relaxing activity, particularly with friends. Stamping doesn’t require any artistic abilities because rubber stamping is applying art onto the paper for you, like a coloring book. It is giving you the framework to express yourself. There are so many creative ways to color in the art. The end results are truly spectacular and uniquely your own. I would love to show you some samples.

When you feel inspired, you feel better about yourself in general. Self esteem is something difficult to come by in these times. Starting a creative habit, such as stamping or scrapbooking, in your home or with friends, will help your develop positive self esteem and self image in various ways. The first time I created a handmade card and gave it to my friend, she just thought I was the most creative person in the world. I still remember the big smile on her face and the affectionate hug. That’s how I got started in sharing what I know and love about rubber stamping.

Almost everyone loves a good routine, so having a weekly stamping night is very important. You could create cards for the troops, a local nursing home, a children’s hospital or start your holiday gift making. Many groups get together rotate inspiration duties. This is where one person each week or month will bring ideas to try. Once you get stamping ideas of all sorts will appear. The evening will end before you know it. Your group could specialize in cards, scrapbooking, holiday cards or gift giving. It’s never too early to start making holiday cards. Wouldn’t that be a healthy relief to know your holiday shopping is done before December? If you need some ideas for the group, I’ll be happy to help.

I know of some women who take the gorgeous works of arts they create and carefully pack them into envelopes and mail to friends as a RAK, a random act of kindness. They know there is nothing which will brighten the day of someone more than opening their mail and finding this card or gift in amongst the junk mail and bills. They do this as a way to give back to others what the stamping has done for them.

Stamping is creating art. It is a healthy habit. It is a habit that is affordable. As a stamper, you are finding a creative outlet. You are helping yourself. You are also helping others. Think of the joy you have received when you have found cards in your mail. One stamp can equal a whole lot of creative therapy and joy for others.

Organize Your Home Office Day on March 10th

I love celebrating. Today is Organizing Your Home Office Day. Ok…I didn’t actually organize but I thought about it. And one of the things that I love that I did for my home office is make it fun and warm to be in. This is my favorite project so far that I have done for my office space. This is groovy guava which I loved but no longer available but we have some great in color this year such as Kiwi Kiss and Baja Blue.

Images Stampin' Up! © 2009

I keep all of my design magazines in these inexpesive cardboard magazine holders I purchased from the office supply store.  It makes finding things so much easier.

My Favorite Wheel – Snowflake

Gosh, I love this wheel. I hope it never, ever becomes retired. I get so much use out of it every year. This year my Holiday theme is ‘Snowflakes’ – Ta Da! I used this roller on my card envelopes, gift bags, gift boxes, table runner, napkins and I’m sure I’ll think of more. What a sensational value. My favorite color with it – Bashful Blue.

Bold Snowflakes #105957

Sample Project

Breakfast in Bed

Another year, another birthday, another breakfast in bed.  My husband’s tradition every year and I LOVE IT!

My Favorite Holiday stamp set this year

Holiday Lineup 111648 Stampin' Up! © 2008

This is going to be my Christmas Card stamp set. Today’s lineup includes quirky elves, magical reindeer, and a family of snow people. The Holiday Lineup stamp set includes three images that convey holiday cheer and the magic of Christmas. These line-art images would be a blast to watercolor using Watercolor Wonder Crayons and an Aqua Painter or blender pen.

Sample Project Stampin' Up! © 2008

Prague

Mike and I returned from a very short trip to Prague.  It was an extension to a business trip.  Then he is off to Singapore soon.  But I decided to stay home this time.

This is my favorite unique Prague picture.  We ate dinner in the funky pub with live music.  We found that the menu was Meat, Potatoes and Beer.  So we ate the Prague Special which was Pork cooked 4 different ways and potatoes cooked 4 different ways.   It was really good but very filling. 

Night Time Dinner

Prague Castle, St. Vitus Church

Winning Bid for August Auction goes to:

Congratulations to Felicia who had August’s winning bid for the FOR A FRIEND stamp set.

Images (C) 1990-2008 Stampin' Up!(R)

Last Month Auction:Stamp Set: For a Friend Set of: 6 Condiditon: Brand New Closing Date: September 1st

I’m moving over

I’m moving my blog post and my Inspiration Club website to this site. I have grand plans in the works that I can’t wait to show you. So consider this temporary!

You will see much more coming your way, I’ll be adding new information weekly. I look forward to answering your questions!