Back Home from the Stampin’ Up! Convention

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I got home safe and sound last night from Salt Lake City with all swaps, stamp sets and goodies intact!  Now where do I even start to tell you about Convention??  I'm thinking that there is not really a way to explain it in words to someone who hasn't been there to capture the excitement and inspiration and just good old fun and friendship that exists at a Stampin' Up! Convention!  If you are a demonstrator and you have never gone, you really need to experience it AT LEAST once! And if you are not a demonstrator, please consider signing up so you can go next year!  You might as well sign up right away because there is a fantastic recruiting special going on right now.  Click HERE to read what all you get, whether you want to join for just $85 or if you want the full Starter Kit plus extra goodies on the special!


Guess how many pictures I took???  1692!!!!  And I'm sure it wasn't enough! Thank goodness for digital cameras!   But I will start with one of the most important things at Convention:  The Build-a-Bear Stampin' Up! Bear!!! Here is my bear we were able to purchase plus the tote bags they were selling in Memento Mall.  If you look at the bottom of the bear's foot, you will see the SU emblem!  And everyone loved the paw print stamp it came with which says, "Life Without Stamps…Unbearable". 


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But let's go back to the day we arrived!  We drove straight to Riverton to tour the Home Office!  What a thrill!  The building is beyond beautiful and the employees we spoke with all so welcoming!
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The first SU catalog on display:
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One of the little rooms of ideas:
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The Creative Ideas Room….who wouldn't be creative in this atmosphere?! And there even is a piano!!
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The walls in the back room…dry erase board!  Demos wrote various messages and suggestions!
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Demo Support….where our phone calls go!
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Attention to detail…..look at the signs they had on the tables in the Atrium area:
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And finally we made it back to Salt Lake City to the Convention Center to pick up our bag and goodies and shop at Memento Mall!  Here's the bag we received which came with a new catalog and Holiday Mini, a pen, and a magnetic Convention"pin" (the three squares of colors) which I attached inside my badge holder.  I brought along an older one on which I could attach my pins, etc.
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Stampin’ Up! Stamps Earn Readers’ Choice

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Stampin' Up! has announced with pleasure that their stamps were the Readers' Choice winner by the readers of Scrapbooks, etc. in the stamps category!!  They also received recognition in the following categories:  card stock, eyelets, ribbon, markers, and ink.

This is the first year Scrapbooks, etc. has held a Readers' Choice award. For more information, see the August/September issue of Scrapbooks, etc. (pages 34-38).

 

Convention Gifts

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When I found these notebooks in the Dollar section of the craft store I knew I could make them into a nice gift!  One for me and one for my downline Linda going to Convention with me!  And an RSVP pen lined with designer paper to match!  The background butterfly is made with the Big Shot.  The sparkly one is punched with the Butterfly Punch from a Sticky Sheet and then glitter applied!  Very fun!  Love that Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Paper, can you tell??

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More Convention Swap Cards

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CONVSwapEightGreetings

This is a 4×4 card using the stamp set "Eight Great Greetings".  Since I was using pieces of the Razzleberry Lemonade Paper I had a choice of card stock colors and combinations.  This card has Melon Mambo and Bermuda Bay.  I used the new Modern Label Punch as well as the old reliable Word Window Punch.

And here is another swap card for my SUDSOL group.  We're meeting at lunch at Convention to swap!  I'm excited to meet many of the ladies whose names I see on my emails.  It is a group for demonstrators where you can get good business help and information.  If you are a demo, you should take advantage of the free trial membership! Click on the logo over in the sidebar or click HERE.  I've been a member all my years as a demonstrator!

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This card uses the new Big Shot Lattice Die and the new Butterfly Punch…and a Rhinestone Brad!

If you need to shop for anything while I am gone you can shop online HERE any time or send me an email at KSFontinelle@gmail.com.

Circle Circus Convention Swap

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Here is one of my Stampin' Up! Convention swap cards.  A long time ago I did a black and white swap where obviously we only used black and white.  That has always stuck with me as a very simple and sometimes elegant way to stamp.  This card is stamped on Glossy White cardstock with Black Stazon ink.  You just have to be a little careful as the glossy paper is slippery!  The "medallion" is stamped by coloring on the stamp with various markers.  This was too time-consuming for making 40 swap cards copying this design, so for those I used the Baby Wipe Technique as seen in this post.   I've been using the Rhinestone Brads a lot also.

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Going to the Stampin’ Up! Convention!!

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Today is traveling day to the Stampin' Up! Convention!!  When we arrive in Salt Lake City we will drive to Riverton, Utah, the headquarters of Stampin' Up!  We will get to tour the Atrium, the Legacy Museum, the Distribution Center, the Ideas Room, and Demonstrator Support.  The Atrium area is two-stories and serves as the main entrance and reception area.  The Legacy Museum shows the history of Stampin' Up! from its beginning in Shelli's home!  The Distribution Center is where the stamps are brought from the Kanab, UT manufacturing plant and from where everything is shipped as the orders come in.  Demonstrator Support are the wonderful people who answer the phones….they're so nice and helpful it's always a pleasure to "have to" call Stampin' Up!  The Ideas Room is where the creative juices flow.  I can't wait to see for myself!

We also get to check-in at the Convention Center and receive our bag filled with goodies and stamp sets for our Make & Takes from Stampin' Up! and begin swapping and visiting with all the other demonstrators who are there!

 

Bag Tag for Stampin’ Up! Convention

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Here’s sort of a sneak peek!  This is a tag I made to put on whatever bag Stampin’ Up! gives us at Convention!  With thousands of the same bag, it’s nice to have something different on yours to identify it.  I was going to use some other DSP, but could not resist using the bright and colorful Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper…and a chipboard letter from Onboard Timeless Type.  It’s so easy to cover the chipboard letter using our Stampin’ Up! Glue Stick.  Just place the paper over the chipboard and then trim away with your scissors.  On the back of my tag I put the Convention logo and my contact information in case the bag gets lost….heaven forbid!  The  plastic holder is called a Badge Holder and you can buy them in a package at an office supply store.

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Just for Kids August Promotion

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Just a short time until I leave for the Stampin' Up! Convention!  I finished my swaps last night (unless I have time to make one more!) so now it is time to get everything gathered up that I need/want to take.  Maybe next year you will be going to Convention, too, after you sign up to be a Demo!  Check out the specials going on now for signing up!  It's a great opportunity!

****Here is some detailed information about the August "Just for Kids" Promotion from Stampin' Up!  Let me know if you have any questions!  You can contact me with your order or place your order online yourself from my website:  www.karenfontinelle.stampinup.net

Dates: August 1-31, 2009

Promotion Details:

Spend $35 on stamp sets from the Growing Up section of the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog (pages 74-90) and receive a FREE package of Designer buttons–a $7.95 value! Eligible buttons are listed below.

Item #  Page  Description  Retail Value 
116313  181 

Playground Designer buttons 

  $7.95 
116312  181 

Sherbet Designer buttons 

  $7.95
114333  181 

Button Latte Designer buttons 

  $7.95


Things to Remember:

  • Growing Up section stamps include the Pirate and Princess Personalized Name stamps from the party kits but not the kits themselves.
  • Stampin' Around wheels do not qualify as a stamp set.
  • There is no limit to the number of free buttons a customer may earn. For every $35 she spends on Growing Up stamp sets, she will receive a free package of Designer buttons.
  • Spanish and French equivalent Growing Up stamp sets are also eligible for this promotion. In addition, the Quinceañera stamp set (item 113820) fromCelebrando Creatividad is also eligible.

FAQs

Q: Will a customer get a free package of Designer buttons for each $35 she spends on Growing Up stamp sets? 
A: Yes! There is no limit to the number of free buttons a customer may earn. For every $35 she spends on Growing Up stamp sets, she will receive a free package of Designer buttons.

Q: Does the qualifying $35 include tax and shipping?
A: No. Customers must meet the qualifying amount before tax and shipping.

Q: Do "kid-friendly" stamp sets outside of the Growing Up section qualify for this promotion?
A: While we recognize there are stamp sets that are great for kids outside of the Growing Up section of the catalog, only stamp sets in the Growing Up section (pages 74-90) qualify for this promotion.

Q: Can customers choose colored or clear button sets (that are worth less than $7.95) as their free package of buttons?
A: No. Customers who spend $35 on stamp sets from the Growing Up section may choose any of the three sets of Designer buttons for their free package of buttons.

Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive

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TombowMulti 

I love this Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive!  I'm using it on all my Convention swap cards, except where I need Mini Glue Dots or Stampin' Dimensionals.  It is easy to apply, you need just little dots of it so more economical than SNAIL Adhesive (although I love that too!), only occasionally gets all over your hands (and then it washes off!), and you can use the Adhesive Remover (#103684) to get it off areas where you don't want it.  Another advantage is that for a few moments you can move your piece around to get it exactly right since it is a liquid glue.  It is permanent if you adhere your pieces right away, but if you let it dry it can be a temporary adhesive.  Besides the small tip, it has a broad applicator at the bottom of the bottle, which I always forget about! You can use it for beads and glitter, too!  If you are making a box or something other than a card, you may have to hold it for just a few seconds until it sticks, but that is the only real drawback, if you want to call it that.  Now if flying in an airplane to Salt Lake City causes the glue to malfunction, then my swaps are in serious trouble!  But I don't think that will happen!  You might consider adding this on to your next order!    

#110755   Tombow Adhesive   $3.95

August is “Just for Kids”!

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Today is August 1st and the start of a big month at Stampin' Up!  Of course it is the Stampin' Up! Convention in JUST A FEW DAYS (I can't believe it!!) and the start of preordering great new products in the new Holiday Mini Catalog for demos.  The Holiday Mini products can be ordered by customers starting Sept. 1st.  But Stampin' Up! has also kicked off their "Just for Kids" campaign. 

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Image copyright Stampin' Up!

Click HERE to read all about it or click on the images on the side of my blog!

If you and your kids are interested in some stamping fun before school starts, please contact me at KSFontinelle@gmail.com.



 

One Good Thing About Stamping….

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…….You don't have to have electricity!!  Some storms finally came through our area today, and after they were gone THEN the power went off for over an hour.  Fortunately, I was still able to work on my swaps for Convention!  Unfortunately, the power came on just in time to cook dinner!

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This is the new Lattice Die for the Big Shot, the new Crushed Curry card stock and the new Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper.  I think the Lattice Die has a lot of potential for creativity!

Baby Wipe Stamping

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I'm working on swaps for Convention and trying to find the fastest way to get the look I want for a certain card.  It's one thing to make one card or several cards with one technique, but if you are making a stack of 25 or 50 card fronts certain techniques can be slow going.  Today I happened to think of the Baby Wipe Technique…..you use a baby wipe as an ink pad and place drops of ink on the pad.  Then you ink up your stamp on the colored baby wipe pad.  It produces kind of a tie-dye multi-color look.  Very easy and rather fun to see what look you will get!

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Making a Swap Card

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Finally cut out the paper for a swap card for Convention yesterday!  And last night I used the Big Shot Texturz Plate to make the texture on the Whisper White cardstock and stamped the giraffe from the new set "Animal Stories".  A week from today I will be on the plane to Salt Lake City to the great Stampin' Up! Convention!  If you want to be going next year, you should consider signing up to be a demo, especially right now with the great sign up deal!  Swapping is a big part of Convention…..usually we make just a card front and then trade with all the other demos!  I'll make several different designs (hopefully, anyway!) so I don't get tired of making the same thing over and over.  Sometimes I think bigger deals are being struck between demos and their swaps, especially the 3-D ones (like little gifts and things) than you find on the floor of the stock market!  If you want to see what this card will look like, you should be following me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/karenstamps!  Go to www.twitter.com to sign up!

Playing with the Heart to Heart Punch

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Just a fun card, a Pink Passion card base studded with hearts from the Deal of the Week, the Heart to Heart Punch!  I just reached into my basket of scraps and punched out lots of hearts.  Love the Tombow Multi Glue for easy adhering!  The sentiment is from the "Oval All" stamp set, colored with Stampin' Write Markers, punched out with the Scallop Oval Punch and a layer from the Wide Oval Punch.

Deal of the Week: Heart to Heart Punch sale $10.99

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You'll love this last Stampin' Up! Deal of the Week…..lots of hearts!  For this week only, July 27-31 buy the Heart to Heart Punch, regular price $15.95, for only $10.99!  You can use these hearts anytime but with Valentine's Day right around the corner……okay, Valentine's Day isn't right around the corner but you know it will get here!!  It's really a cute punch and I'm sure you will enjoy it!  Just be sure to order it by Friday, July 31 to get the sale price.  I love all our punches!

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