Convention swaps - part 1

These are some of my swaps from Convention – what a lot of stamping talent there is out there in Great Britain, France and Germany! I had so many swaps that I couldn’t fit them all on one photo, so took out all the Christmassy ones to show you another time. Although, oops, I see one slipped onto this photo in the bottom left hand corner.

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Convention - the finale

To conclude my report of Convention... Day Two was even more exciting than the first day, if that’s possible. It started with Make & Takes in the marquee. And how wonderful is it having everything cut up for you? That’s something that doesn’t happen very often for me so I really appreciate it when it does.

All the supplies were in a box with detailed instructions. Naturally, we didn’t read them, just kept asking each other what to do! We made two cards, a 6x6 scrapbook page and a pouch. All fabulous and all using our new stamp sets which we’d received the day before: Just Believe and Party This Way. They played music while we worked and there was a real party atmosphere. I wanted to show you these fabulous Make & Takes but I’m never home in daylight at the moment to get a decent picture. Very frustrating.

The rest of the day was taken up with presentations and demonstrations. It was very relaxed and there were lots of laughs – and some fabulous inspiration. There were demos from Shelli Gardner, SU’s CEO and co-founder. She makes beautiful projects and is just like the rest of us – really enthusiastic about fabulous products and a big fan of chocolate! She admitted that she’d nearly opened one of her projects two days before so that she could eat the chocolate inside!

There were also demonstrations from Pam Morgan, Stampin’ Up!®’s vice-president. She makes amazing creations and is a really relaxed demonstrator, even when things go wrong. Not like me at all! She gave us a little peek of something fabulous to come in the New Year... but I’m afraid my lips are sealed for now. She also gave us all some more FREE STAMPS! The level of excitement was very, very high by this point, as you can imagine.

Finally, came the announcement that next year’s Convention is to be held at Disneyland Paris. They broke this news with a short video and the contingent of French demonstrators went wild almost immediately... shortly followed by everybody else.

So that’s it for this year. I’m still on a high from all the excitement and can’t wait to show you all the ideas I picked up for some really exciting demonstrations. I’m sure you’re going to love them!

More about Convention

Well I promised you more Convention news, but I really don’t know where to start. It was such a fabulous weekend. If you love crafting as much as I do – and I know you do – it’s worth signing up as a demo simply to get the chance to go on this trip!

I travelled down with three of my team: two Alisons and Jacqui. Despite setting off nice and early, we didn’t arrive at our hotel until about 7.30pm, thanks to the M25. We had decided to save some money by staying at the Travelodge in Croydon, instead of one of the two hotels where Stampin’ Up!® had blocked rooms. It was perfectly fine... and we got a room each for half the price of sharing at the other two hotels!

After a snack, we spent the first evening in my hotel room. I held court from the bed (I was too tired to do anything else after the drive down – while the others did some last-minute stamping. I wasn’t surprised; I really hadn’t expected Alison to have finished her swaps in time! The other Alison helped her pack them into cello bags, while Jacqui made her bag tag. We all get given a bag at Convention, so it helps to make a tag to distinguish yours from everyone else’s. I WILL take a photo of mine when we get some daylight!

Eventually I turfed them out of my room so I could go to bed and attempt to get some rest – not easy as I don’t sleep well in towns, I’m too much of a country girl!

Next day we set off bright and early. Well, early – I certainly wasn’t feeling bright as I’d woken up at 4am to the sound of police sirens and couldn’t get back to sleep again. But we wanted to get to Addington Palace early to beat the queues.

No chance. Registration was from 8.30am to 11am... we arrived at 8.34am to a huge queue!!! The main Convention hall was in a marquee at the palace, which you reached through a tented walkway. It was a bit like queuing up to see Santa... only at the end we received our Convention bags and free stamp sets!

In the queue, the swapping began. I will take a pic of some of my swaps in the next few days – there are some stunning creations! It was good to meet lots of other demonstrators from all over the UK, France and Germany.

 

During the rest of the morning, we visited Memento Mall (see picture) – this is where we can buy special Stampin’ Up! memorabilia such as fabulous craft totes (sadly they ran out and are sending some more over from the USA so I will have to wait until Christmas for mine), gorgeous 12x12 bags (I use one for work – I need a big bag for all my snacks!), pens, rulers and other goodies.  

We also stamped some sheets with all of the 40 colours, plus the five In Colors – this is a really useful activity for demonstrators because, believe it or not, we don’t all have all of the ink pads, cardstock and markers! So this gives us something to show to customers without having to buy absolutely everything. This was quite fun as everything was laid out at very long tables which were decorated with this gorgeous cardstock bunting!

After brunch, the main session began, with the arrival of Shelli Gardner, Stampin’ Up!’s co-founder and CEO – you know, the lady pictured at the front of the catalogue with the big family! She is an amazing lady and passionate about stamping, just like the rest of us!

In the afternoon we had some business presentations and saw some fantastic demonstrations from some of the top demonstrators from here, as well as France and Germany. They were truly inspirational – and I’m sure you’ll be seeing my versions of some of their ideas over the next few months!

Then it was time to nip back to the hotel to change for the gala dinner... which you already know ALL about.

That’s all for now. Didn’t want to bore you with all the tiny details, but seem to be doing so anyway! Will tell you more about the even more exciting Day Two another time. I really want to get some photos to accompany the post, but it’s very difficult in this horrible weather because it’s so dark everywhere.

My BIG news!

I have some BIG news to share, if you will permit me to blow my own trumpet for a short while.

When I arrived at the Stampin' Up!® Convention I was given the usual kit... a special Convention bag like this one containing our two free stamp sets, a special Stampin' Up! pen, current Idea Book & Catalogue, event programme, meal vouchers for the event, a "Share What You Love" badge to reflect the theme of the Convention, a "My First Convention" badge, as it was my first time and another badge which I really couldn't understand.

This mysterious badge read "Demonstrator of the Year 2010"... but I KNEW I couldn't possibly be Demo of the Year, as I am not even in the same league as some of the ladies. Then someone told me that this meant I was in the TOP 25 demonstrators in the UK!!!! Unbelievable! This award is based on a combination of sales and recruiting, rewarding demonstrators for having a rounded and balanced business. Other than that, I have no idea how they work it out!

Then it dawned on me... this meant I would have to... WALK THE STAGE!!!!! Which, as anyone who knows me will tell you, is my worst nightmare.

There was an agonising wait until almost the end of the evening ceremony, when the list of top 25 was read out. Was it read out? Actually I can't even remember. But the list appeared on the screen, in reverse order, and I was staggered that my name wasn't on the first page ... I'd actually made it to number 12!!!!!!

On stage I received a single red rose from Stampin Up!'s lovely co-founder and CEO, Shelli Gardner - there she is, pictured on one of the big screens which were positioned around the marquee so that all of the 300 demonstrators there could see properly.

I can't say I enjoyed the experience of walking the stage, it was far too scary, but I am thrilled to be number 12! And it's all thanks to my wonderful customers and hard-working downlines!

So I'm sorry for blowing my own trumpet but I had to share that news... I'll tell you more news about Convention in the next few days.