Embellish

NEW "Thinlets" Big Shot Card Dies!

Beginning tomorrow, August first, we have the MOST exciting new development for the Sizzix Big Shot EVER! Stampin' Up has come out with two exclusive Framelit-style dies that cut out a whole card--and even better, it's a moving-parts card! Take a look at the banner above to see one of the cards in motion!

Now we can make these formerly VERY labor-intensive cards with a single run through the Big Shot machine! Just think how impressed your friends and relatives would be to see a card like this for Christmas--it would earn a spot on the mantel, for sure! With all that work done for you in a single manuever (both cutting AND scoring) you'll be able to give these great moving-parts cards to everyone on your list, instead of just a favored few!

Click here to go to my online store, where ordering begins tomorrow, August 1, 2013!!

While we wait, check out a couple astounding samples we saw at Convention two weeks ago, when these new Thinlets were announced to great fanfare and deafening cheers from over five thousand stampers!

Email me if you want me to toss one or both designs (one is a circle, which would go with all our circle and scallop circle punches, and the other goes with our Labels Collection Framelits) on my order tomorrow when the 2013 Holiday Catalog goes live! No special plates or platform required for these new Thinlet card dies, either--WIN! [email protected]

Play along from the comfort of home!

Lovely Latticework

A cute convention swap sample I received using the Stampin' Up Lattice Bigz die for the Sizzix Big Shot got me to dig out this old favorite and create this card using Rose Red and Whisper White for a crisp, compelling layout. We're making a version of card at some of my August workshops next month, and I hope everyone just loves it as much as I do! It looks good in any color scheme, really.

Today is the LAST day of July, so here's some "housekeeping" notes as well as some things to look forward to, beginning tomorrow!

• today is the LAST day to sign up for Scrapbooking Summer School. I only have spots to participate via mail or in-person pickup. The classes themselves are totally full.
• today is the LAST day to take advantage of the Buy Three Get One Free sale on Designer Series Papers. You can click here to view them all and order online, or email me your order.
• tomorrow is the FIRST day of the 2013 Holiday Catalog!!! Most of you will have received it via mail already, but if you want one and didn't receive it, just ask! I will get the link to the online catalog up and running ASAP tomorrow. it is jam-packed with ideas and Christmas-makings!!
• tomorrow is the FIRST day of the 31 Pages/31 Days Scrapbooking Blog Challenge! Are you up for it? Participate along with us by commenting on your progress, which will enter you to win all sorts of weekly giveaways! We also have a Facebook group that you can join and share pictures of your pages, encourage each other to perservere, and enjoy bonus resources I will be posting there. 
• right now is the best time to join my team! In addition to the free Pick A Kit promotion from Stampin' Up, I have a SURPRISE free stamp set to give away to every new team member who joins in August 2013! Whether you just want a little home business for fun and pin money, or you need a total career change, or you tried direct sales before and it didn't go so hot--I want YOU to seriously consider joining my fun and enthusiastic group of stampers! Email me with any questions you have, and then click here to choose $125 worth of product for your Starter Kit, for just $99 plus tax--no shipping!

Christmas Club is filling fast!

Just seven spots left for the 2013 session of Christmas Club in Watertown! Click here to view the details.

And if you'd like to start a Christmas Club in your town, we'll just need yourself and five friends as a minimum to plan your own sessions. We can do four weeks in a row, or once a month for four months--whatever suits your needs! Email me for a personalized club option or long-distance options! [email protected]

Quilting with Paper

Oh my, the marriage of two favorites--My favorite Designer Series Paper, Eastern Elegance, and the new Hexagon punch--come together scrumptiously in this faux-quilting card! Add in the new ruffled stretch ribbon and it's almost too cute to send!

This card comes to you JUST in time for the July special... click here to view the papers that are Buy Three, Get One Free through tomorrow at midnight!

We're making this card at my stamp clubs this month, and YOU could be making it, too! Email me for info on my four club options and how you can join--or NEW for 2013--how you can participate via mail! [email protected]

Convention 2013 Sample Inspiration

I have been a BUSY beaver behind the scenes after returning from vacation, gearing up for Scrapbooking Summer School, the 31 Pages in 31 Days blog series, and getting ready for Christmas Club to begin! I LOVE this time of year! Most of what I've been working on I can't show you until the first of the month, so here are some more really adorable ideas off the convention display boards.

Loved this puffy heart made with our Core'Dinations cardstock, but even more than that I love the touch I spotted after I got home and was looking at my photos. I didn't even see the cute scored background with a mini rhinestone on each junction! Cute and classy!

Love the ruffles...I have used the ruffled stretch trim around a circle before, but never thought of making three rows of ruffles! What a focal point!

This next one, with the woven strips, I want to incorporate into a scrapbook page sometime in August.

I will TOTALLY be trying this! The "hello" is written in Crystal Effects! Amazing! I love Crystal Effects all to pieces--can't believe I never tried this before!

In Love With Color 7/28/13

Welcome to In Love With Color! Weekly color combining inspiration can be easily found at your fingertips. Updated with the latest Stampin' Up colors, and keeping an eye on trends in fashion, home decor and papercrafting, Song of My Heart Stampers will bring you three different color combos every Sunday morning.

Want to play along? Send a link to a project inspired by one of my combos to me at [email protected], and once a month I will pick a favorite to feature on the first Sunday of the month. Enjoy!

This week's color combos:

1. Soft Suede, Strawberry Slush, Island Indigo, Crumb Cake
2. Crushed Curry, Night of Navy, Pool Party, Strawberry Slush
3. Soft Sky, Island Indigo, Midnight Muse, Pear Pizzazz

Announcing the 31Pages/31Days Challenge!

Join me for the kickoff of my second annual 31pages/31days challenge on August first! Play along with the Scrapbooking Summer School participants as we meet for four intense weeks of class, and others participate via mailed packages. Our lofty goal? Thirty-one pages completed by the end of the thirty-one days of August.

Each day in August there will be an original new single layout or double-page spread posted for your inspiration, and scrapbooking blog candy will be given away each week! Watch for weekly blog-only specials on specific new scrapping tools and products featured and participate with the special event code provided for the week.

Email [email protected] to participate in person or via mail no later than July 31st, or play along with us by posting your progress in the comment area each day. Are you up to the challenge? I am!

Scrapbooking Summer School Deadline: 7/31/13

Summer going a little faster than planned? Treat yourself to one last fun thing just for you before the crazy fall schedule picks back up! You deserve a night out with friends. 

Each intensive class during Scrapbooking Summer School will be jam-packed with fresh design ideas, upcycling/repurposing items from around the house, ways to incorporate ribbons and fibers, creative headline and journaling techniques, layouts for multiple photos on a single page, even organization hints, and of course, all the latest scrapbooking ideas from Stampin’ Up's 25th Anniversation Convention! Each attendee will also get a layout binder with original sketches of my own design, which you’ll be able to add to as you get inspiration from other sources down the road.

 But here’s the kicker! We take scrapping seriously around here! There will be homework. Every week you’ll be given a product and instructions to go home and create a page or layout using it, to be brought back the following week. By the end of the month, you’ll have created over 20 different pages in total, AND there’s a bonus, too!  Create a total of 31 pages in the 31 days of August—the ones we make in class and the ones you do on your own in between—and you’ll receive a free package of Designer Series paper!

I hope you will read the details and decide to join us! This class series got RAVE reviews from the attendees last year. Check out the Scrapbooking section of my blog to view sample pages and all 31 pages that I made last year. 

2013 Scrapbooking Summer School

four consecutive Thursday nights in August—

August 8, 15, 22, and 29th

from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Watertown, WI

Cost is just $50 for all four classes if you register by July 31^st, or $45 if you participated last year and already have the binder.  Includes all projects, a layout inspiration notebook, lots of free product, bonus items, and exclusive special offers.

Add $20 if you would like to pre-order a SNAIL adhesive runner and three refills!

Can't participate in person? I can mail the class package, binder materials and bonus items to you each week for four weeks, for an additional fee of just $20.00. You'll be able to play along with the challenges and homework just like my class attendees!

RSVP by July 31st by emailing [email protected] or calling (920) 261-3962

Pre-payment is necessary to hold your spot. Payment in full must be received no later than August 5th or you will need to wait for next year's session! 

Summer going a little faster than planned? Treat yourself to one last fun thing just for you before the crazy fall schedule picks back up! You deserve a night out with friends. 

Each intensive class during Scrapbooking Summer School will be jam-packed with fresh design ideas, upcycling/repurposing items from around the house, ways to incorporate ribbons and fibers, creative headline and journaling techniques, layouts for multiple photos on a single page, even organization hints, and of course, all the latest scrapbooking ideas from Stampin’ Up's 25th Anniversation Convention! Each attendee will also get a layout binder with original sketches of my own design, which you’ll be able to add to as you get inspiration from other sources down the road.

 But here’s the kicker! We take scrapping seriously around here! There will be homework. Every week you’ll be given a product and instructions to go home and create a page or layout using it, to be brought back the following week. By the end of the month, you’ll have created over 20 different pages in total, AND there’s a bonus, too!  Create a total of 31 pages in the 31 days of August—the ones we make in class and the ones you do on your own in between—and you’ll receive a free package of Designer Series paper!

I hope you will read the details and decide to join us! This class series got RAVE reviews from the attendees last year. Check out the Scrapbooking section of my blog to view sample pages and all 31 pages that I made last year. 

2013 Scrapbooking Summer School

four consecutive Thursday nights in August—

August 8, 15, 22, and 29th

from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Watertown, WI

Cost is just $50 for all four classes if you register by July 31^st, or $45 if you participated last year and already have the binder.  Includes all projects, a layout inspiration notebook, lots of free product, bonus items, and exclusive special offers.

Add $20 if you would like to pre-order a SNAIL adhesive runner and three refills!

Can't participate in person? I can mail the class package, binder materials and bonus items to you each week for four weeks, for an additional fee of just $20.00. You'll be able to play along with the challenges and homework just like my class attendees!

RSVP by July 31st by emailing [email protected] or calling (920) 261-3962

Pre-payment is necessary to hold your spot. Payment in full must be received no later than August 5th or you will need to wait for next year's session! 

Summer going a little faster than planned? Treat yourself to one last fun thing just for you before the crazy fall schedule picks back up! You deserve a night out with friends. 

Each intensive class during Scrapbooking Summer School will be jam-packed with fresh design ideas, upcycling/repurposing items from around the house, ways to incorporate ribbons and fibers, creative headline and journaling techniques, layouts for multiple photos on a single page, even organization hints, and of course, all the latest scrapbooking ideas from Stampin’ Up's 25th Anniversation Convention! Each attendee will also get a layout binder with original sketches of my own design, which you’ll be able to add to as you get inspiration from other sources down the road.

 But here’s the kicker! We take scrapping seriously around here! There will be homework. Every week you’ll be given a product and instructions to go home and create a page or layout using it, to be brought back the following week. By the end of the month, you’ll have created over 20 different pages in total, AND there’s a bonus, too!  Create a total of 31 pages in the 31 days of August—the ones we make in class and the ones you do on your own in between—and you’ll receive a free package of Designer Series paper!

I hope you will read the details and decide to join us! This class series got RAVE reviews from the attendees last year. Check out the Scrapbooking section of my blog to view sample pages and all 31 pages that I made last year. 

2013 Scrapbooking Summer School

four consecutive Thursday nights in August—

August 8, 15, 22, and 29th

from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Watertown, WI

Cost is just $50 for all four classes if you register by July 31^st, or $45 if you participated last year and already have the binder.  Includes all projects, a layout inspiration notebook, lots of free product, bonus items, and exclusive special offers.

Add $20 if you would like to pre-order a SNAIL adhesive runner and three refills!

Can't participate in person? I can mail the class package, binder materials and bonus items to you each week for four weeks, for an additional fee of just $20.00. You'll be able to play along with the challenges and homework just like my class attendees!

RSVP by July 31st by emailing [email protected] or calling (920) 261-3962

Pre-payment is necessary to hold your spot. Payment in full must be received no later than August 5th or you will need to wait for next year's session! 

Christmas Club 2013 Registration Opens Today!

This is the perfect, short-term club commitment for anyone who wants to send handmade Christmas cards but doesn’t feel like they have the time.  We will be meeting once a month during August, September, October and November to create 12 Christmas cards each month—4 each of three designs—for a grand total of 48 beautiful holiday cards at the end of the four sessions.

 The cards will be able to be more advanced than the ones we do in one big long day at my annual Stamp A Stack, because we’ll be able to take a little more time with them. So be prepared for some more advanced techniques and lots of Christmas bling! I will be designing a variety of styles and color schemes so there will be something for everyone.

We will be using AMAZING new products from the 2013 Holiday Catalog! Holy cow is there some cool stuff in there, like silver foil papers, new embossing folders and Big Shot dies, new double-sidedpapers, snazzy new ribbons and embellishments, new Thinlets, and of course, lots and lots of new stamp sets! And don’t worry—YES, I bought the snowflake and framelit set!!! : )

Our club sessions will be on the third Monday night of the month. The dates are August 19^th, September 16^th, October 21st, and November 18th.   Cost is just $15 per person per month for the four month commitment. If you pay in full at the first meeting, I will throw in a package of envelopes totally free and you can stamp those to match each month!!

UPDATED this year: I now have two Embossing Mate heat tool holders, for easy, hands-free heat embossing! You are going to fall in love with this amazing invention.

ALSO NEW THIS YEAR! Add $20 to your check and I will bring you a SNAIL adhesive and three refills, so you don’t even have to remember to bring your adhesive—how awesome is that?? Snail will be available individually at regular price at each club meeting as well.

 If you’d like to join me in being prepared in advance this year for the holidays, be all done with your cards by Thanksgiving, and have a fun night out once a month, call or email me today to reserve your spot! [email protected] (920) 261-3962

The DEADLINE TO RSVP is Friday, August 9^th.

 PS--PLEASE FORWARD THIS LINK TO YOUR FRIENDS!! If one of them RSVP’s, I will have a gift for you both at the first club! : )

 PSS—if you have a prior commitment for one or more of the sessions, but still really want to participate, let me know!

PSST—need more than 48 Christmas cards total? Consider signing up for two spots! You won’t be able to get them all finished in one session, but you could do all the stamping and prep work and then assemble at home at your leisure.

 

Convention 2013 Day Three

Wowsers!! Look at what I was wearing around my neck by the time the Stampin' Up Convention was over last Saturday!!? My husband saw that and said, "did you leave any awards for anyone else, honey?" He's so sweet. What I see when I look at these ribbons and pins is God working quietly behind the scenes, when everything looked very dim. I am a slow learner... the lightbulb is sometimes remiss in coming on at all... but I should know that what I thought of as a "BAD" year just because it wasn't a "GOOD" year, did not mean it was not a "GROW" year! "Grow" years are even better than good years, in the long run, because you learn lessons about life and relationships. You learn to trust your instincts, to listen to your body, to delegate. Sometimes you learn that going out on a limb is not more scary than staying back where you were... anyway, I have multiple thoughts on "grow" years, that I will be compiling into an article for my free direct-sales motivation and inspiration blog. Did you know I have all kinds of goodies for demonstrators stashed in a no-frills, ad-free, solictior-free site? If you haven't visited the resources at Song of My Heart Demonstrators yet, I'd love it if you would! You can reach it anytime through the links on my top menu bar. And leave me a comment if something was helpful to you, as it keeps me encouraged.
So! Let's hear more about Convention. I can't believe it's over!!! On the other hand, I am glad it is, because we finally wandered home around midnight last night, so I can dive into the stamp room as soon as I get my messages returned and get some groceries. Fifteen days is a long time to be away!

Photos have been trickling in from friends... thanks to everyone who is sharing theirs! My mom thought it was so funny how I couldn't walk 20 feet in any direction without squealing and throwing my arms around another friend. I am so blessed to have gotten to know so many incredible women through Stampin' Up, and convention is such a great way for the online ones to get to meet in person, too!

I do a gigantic organized swap every year at Convention, and while it's stressful, I love the quality of the card samples I get in return. Don't worry, I will make a slideshow of them now that I am back home! This year we had a 140-person swap, with seven groups of twenty and a captain over each to help me manage the monster! : ) This photo is just the gifts that people sweetly brought when they came to sign in that afternoon... yay chocolate!!! I am SO spoiled!!

I enjoyed a lot of really good training at convention, and especially liked Carrie Cudney's class on Living A Creative Life. And no, not just because she had a quote from me in one of her slides!

Carrie had a lot of good thoughts on personal creativity, how we think we don't have enough, or stifle it with our negative self-talk, and how to celebrate and explore it. I think I may work a session on this into our demonstrator retreat this September! Details on that coming shortly...

Bonnie Thurber is always a hilarious and delightful presenter, and she didn't disappoint in the final general session. Her stampin' showcase was one long roll in the aisles. First thing she did after sitting down was take a panoramic picture of the HUGE audience--would love to get my hands on that! I know I was not the only one whose throast was sore and whose voice was shot by the end of Saturday.

I was soooo excited to hear one of the final announcements that I cheered like crazy even though my voice was almost gone, though! Our Leadership Conference will be held in Houston next January! Let's hear it for visiting Texas in the middle of a Wisconsin winter!! And they also announced the date for the 2014 convention, so we can make plans. YOU need to plan to come along, by the way... you can't imagine how much fun it is! I hope my posts have shown you even a tenth of how amazingly awesome it is to go to an event put on by the penultimate party planners--Stampin' Up!

Because it was our 25th anniversary, Stampin' Up gave away just a gazillion prizes and did more all-attendee giveaways than ever before. We were all feeling pretty swell by the final session, and then Shelli pointed out something we hadn't figured out yet--out of all the nearly 6,000 attendees, only 25 people had not yet had their wristband color called for a prize. So she did one last Prize Patrol--and the winners received EVERY SINGLE stamp set out of the Holiday Catalog!!! Can you IMAGINE?? What a fantastic way to finish out the giveaways!

Unfortunately this is as close as we got to a team picture... we never did find a moment when all of us were together in the same spot! There were always one or two missing every single time we tried. But we had a great time celebrating Jessica's birthday and eating waaaaay too much at the Cheesecake Factory on Saturday night. Convention = good eats!!

As awesome as the final day of convention was, no one was sorry to leave. We're all so fired up about the ways we can make a difference in our families and communities, and our heads and notebooks are crammed to the max with amazing stampin' inspiration. I know I wasn't the only one itchin' the get back into the stamp room so I can put all this stuff to good use! Watch for yummy samples coming your way!

 

 

Convention 2013 Punch Art Inspiration

I'm headed back to good old Wisconsin the next two days, so I've lined up some of the best samples I spotted at Convention 2013 to share with you. I know the "people" part of convention is always MY favorite thing to hear about, but the stampin' part of it is what really floats YOUR boats! I cannot WAIT to get home and get some of these ideas into practice. Monday is Calendar Club, Tuesday is Create A Card Club, and the 31 Pages in 31 Days challenge begins in just over a week... I'm going to have plenty of excuses to play, play, play the minute I walk in the door!

This kleenex box get-well card makes me smile. That's just the new hexagon punch, can you believe it? That kind of punch art is easy enough even for ME : ) And look at this next slider-card cutie!!! Angry Birds are a big hit at my house. I love the cupcake punch topper used as clouds, and the Word Window used for the slingshot. You can click here to view all of Stampin' Up's punches in my shopping site.

This card is just perfect... I love the layers of "grass" and the little snipped bits of "dirt." The sun is the Pennant builder punch. The stamp set is called Tag It, and that's our new charity set for the year. Proceeds go to Ronald Mc Donald House. In fact, Ronald himself came by to thank Stampin' Up for our  donation.

I forget the actual figures, but our little annual stamp set has raised over a million dollars just by itself, not to mention the donations of time and product from local demonstrators. I was really proud to be able to take 50 cards with me to convention to donate on behalf of the Song of My Heart team, collected at our July meeting. Yay team!

I was out of swaps by the time this cutie pie came along, but they let me take a picture of it anyway. Isn't he precious? I definitely have to try to attempt this cheerful little guy when I get home. If he turns out, I'll post the punches needed and list any that need to be trimmed. Wish me luck... punch art is not necessarily my forte!

Convention 2013 Awards Night & Announcements

It was an exciting awards night for the Song of My Heart demonstrator team at the annual Stampin' Up convention in Salt Lake City this year!! We'd been celebrating since we arrived, with various recognition waves and walks, but Awards Night has a whole different level of glamor. Plus, there was the promise of a to-die-for party afterwards, and we were NOT disappointed! Thanks to several different demo friends for these pictures... my camera battery died just at the crucial moment, wouldn't you know.

Right off the bat we got to cheer our heads off for Lynn, one of only FIVE demonstrators in their first full year to acheive a very lofty set of sales and recruiting standards. It was an enormous accomplishment, obviously! Lynn earned not only a bonus and a beautiful star necklace, she also gets to go on an exclusive "Rising Star" retreat at the Stampin' Up home office this fall. We are all so proud of her. Lynn is my second SOMH Rising Star team member--Allana was one two years ago.This year was exciting for everyone as well, because for the first time ever, there was a male Rising Star. There is now a beautiful watch as an option instead of the necklace ; )

One of my dear friends, Alanna Wharf, pictured here with another dear friend Dena Renkow, was honored with the Artisan Award Design Team, our highest stamping-related honor. To let you know how tough this competition is, most people do not even manage to complete all the required projects to even enter, let alone win. Congrats to all ten winners--can't wait to see what you come up with all this year!

Next I got to walk the stage with a fellow Wisconsite SU-family member of mine, Wendy Fassbender, as we both earned the Acheiver's Bonus for our sales and recruiting efforts this year. We all got gorgeous fresh flower lei's instead of a boquet or corsage this year--that was cool!

I said to Mom when I got back to my seat, "I wonder if the lei's are a hint as to where the next incentive trip will be?" And guess what??? They WERE!!! The next Getaway Weekend we can work for is a trip to Washington, D.C., and the next Grand Vacation is to Oahu, Hawaii!!! I about died. AND the dates are mid-May instead of early May, so hopefully it will work out for Mike to attend, if I earn it. So you KNOW what I'll be working my tail off for this year!! Wish me luck!

Next up was the Founder's Circle announcements. I was honored to be among the Top 100 Demonstrators of the Year for the third time. Things had been tough this year and I had prepared myself to not hear my name called--but it was!! I kept peeking at the screen to make sure it was still up there because I could hardly believe it! So I get to go on an exclusive retreat in September, too! And I got a great purse which I love, to boot.

While I was up on stage getting a Founder's Circle hug from Shelli, she asked me how to pronounce my last name. I didn't think anything of it, because people are always asking me that (Zwoh-LA-neck), but it did strike me as an odd moment to ask. I soon found out why she needed a refresher on the pronunciation, though!

I still can't believe it as I'm typing this even now, days later, that this happened! I have been selected  to serve on the six-member Advisory Board for Stampin' Up. It is the highest business honor the company can bestow. There is no way to earn it, you have to be appointed to it. There are several additional duties at Leadership and Convention, and an extension of the Founder's Circle retreat in September for the members to work on whatever topics they assign us.

I am SO excited to serve the one-year term, as I dearly love this company and would do anything in my power to help them in any way they see fit to ask me. Other board appointees cry when they find out, but I was grinning from ear to ear as I hurried up to the stage from back in the boonies where my very proud Mom sat in her wheelchair listening to a crowd of six thousand people cheer, and whispered, "That's my girl."

All I said to Shelli when I finally got up there was "Bless your heart!" and "Thank you so much!" but as I thought about it afterwards, what I wanted to say was, thank you for believing in me. Thank you for appreciating how seriously I take this, how badly I want each demonstrator to develop their wings and FLY just like I have been able to with the opportunities that are available to EVERY one of us with Stampin' Up. This company has been such a God-send to me and my family, and it has made a difference in each the lives of my seventy team members and their families as well. I can't wait to help out on the Advisory Board! The hard part will be keeping my mouth SHUT about new things in development. I will have to sit on my hands many times this year, I'm sure!

This pic is me and my momma at the after party... this post is already too long, though! Will save that for another day.

 

Convention 2013 Video

I know, I know, I was trying to go chronologically and now I'm out of order. My problem is, convention was so hectic and I had my hands so full, I hardly got any photos. And then my camera ran out of batteries just at the cruical moment at Awards Night. So, stay tuned for the play-by-play, and in the meantime, here's some fun random photos! Some I borrowed from friends, since I don't have a lot...

The whole city center area was decorated for us! They loooove it when Stampin' Up comes and we all shop 'til we drop and leave cute stamped things with our tips after a meal or in the hotel room for the housekeeping staff.

This photos will give you some idea of how gigantic the convention was. There were nearly 6,000 of us. It was quite a hoot getting anywhere if you hit the mass exodus from the main sessions. And of course we were navigating in a wheelchair, too. But thankfully only ONE person stepped directly in front of Mom and got her ankle nicked (boy did she give me a dirty look). All the other times I was able to stop in time to prevent it. People really do need to watch where they are going... but there was SOOOOO much to look at, I can't blame them! And everyone else was so sweet and helpful, opening doors and offering assistance or pointing out shortcuts.


The BEST part of Convention is ALWAYS the friends!! "old" friends and new, online friends and friends from overseas... I just love it when someone says to me, "You don't know me, but I sure know you!" and they have been reading Song Of My Heart and enjoying my rambling. Now I DO know many of you I had not met before, and I am so glad we're friends!

So touched by the goodies I got from our foreign demonstrator attendees, many of whom I met at a privately arranged meet n' greet session for North American bloggers they wanted to meet and thank for inspiration and encouragement and the market gets going in those newer regions. They had put so much love and thought into their gifts for us! My husband was beyond thrilled at Leonie's Tim Tams! I told my family they have to wait to eat the rest of the candy until after I get a chance to show the presents to my team back home, though.

And since I see they just posted the official convention video for us, here it is! You can hear from demos for the first couple minutes, then at about the two-minute mark, the theme song begins and the video starts. ENJOY!!! Sure brings back the great memories!

In Love With Color 7/21/13

Welcome to In Love With Color! Weekly color combining inspiration can be easily found at your fingertips. Updated with the latest Stampin' Up colors, and keeping an eye on trends in fashion, home decor and papercrafting, Song of My Heart Stampers will bring you three different color combos every Sunday morning.

Want to play along? Send a link to a project inspired by one of my combos to me at [email protected], and once a month I will pick a favorite to feature on the first Sunday of the month. Enjoy!

This week's color combos:

1. Soft Sky, Crushed Curry, Island Indigo, Crumb Cake--breezy
2. Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Pool Party, Cherry Cobbler--sailing
3. Soft Suede, Island Indigo, Night of Navy, Pear Pizzazz--campout

Convention 2013 Day Two

Day Two of the 2013 Stampin' Up Convention was so jam-packed I don't even know where to begin to describe it. On paper, it looked like a pretty easy day--a general session in the morning, followed by an Expo-style afternoon. In practice, it involved a lot of me running from shiny thing to shiny thing and forgetting to eat. It probably wasn't pretty. But it was SUPER fun!!!

My lovely friend Shannon did a fabulous job of presenting this morning, just too many awesome things to count. Bunch of exciting new things headed our way in a few short weeks. I scribbled illegible notes and took tons of blurry photos. Loved her ideas for out-of-the-box personalized stamps...


Mom and I participated in this year's Making a Difference service project. We put together birthday banners and stuffed boxes full of birthday supplies for kids hospitalized over their special day. I am so happy Stampin' Up donated all the products and gave us this opportunity to pull together the power in numbers and do a big project like this. We made 2,000 kits altogether. That felt great!



Of course, there were lots and lots and LOTS of display boards to look at, booths to visit, people to greet, swap cards to exchange... this year Stampin' Up added a really fun feature, the Recognition Room. Only people who had earned an award got to go in. It is like an exclusive club-style oasis out of all the hustle and bustle of a convention with nearly 6,000 attendees. I will definitely be hitting it again tomorrow for free drinks and chocolate and a cushy couch to put my feet up for a few.


Inside the Recognition Room, we got to stamp acheivement cards for each of the big milestones or awards we'd gotten during the year. Cute idea! I filled out four cards and was thrilled to have team members who were also celebrating successes this year.

I have soooo much more to share about Day Two, but it is going to have to wait for another post. I have to get myself to bed and get some beauty sleep for tomorrow. I will leave you with a teaser, though, because I'm just nice like that... I had my photo taken with a thought bubble whiteboard I filled out in the Recognition Room this afternoon. Little did I ever DREAM what was going to happen to me on Awards Night this year!! I promise I'll blog about that as soon as I get two seconds! Nighty-nite!

Convention 2013 Opening Day

My, but we're having a marvelous time here at the 2013 Stampin' Up Convention! Not much chatter from me tonight as I am MORE than ready to hit the sack, but I couldn't leave you without a few pictures of the utter crazy wonderfulness of attending a rockin' convention with 5700 other demonstrators! I thought we had a light schedule today, but we left the hotel around nine and were gone for 12 hours straight! A highlight of the day was touring the Stampin' Up home office in Riverton, and seeing the beautiful building, shipping department, demo support offices, and idea room. I've been there several times, but it was fun to take my mom and the rest of the team around the place.


We also got our name badges squared away (mom's had gotten lost in the mail) and picked up our convention shirts. Later in the opening general session we got the most adorable backpacks, which just so happen to be stuffed to the BRIM with stampin' stuff!!! Whoo hooo!!!



Oooo, shiny!!! Lots of silver bling this year for the 25th anniversary!! we also had a fabulous theme song sung to us (complete with pyrotechnics, which I think might be a first for us!) by someone apparently famous, from the show The Voice. I've never watched it so I didn't recognize him, but he did a great job.Then Shelli's whole family came out on stage to join her, Sterling first, then the girls, then their husbands, and finally all sixteen grandkids. It was very cool to see--and of course we gave them a standing o!

Of course there was fabulous stamping by one of my personal faves, VP Pam Morgan, and back-to-back prize patrols in addition to an all attendee giveaway, a free stamp set from the Holiday Catalog! Two of our SOMH team won one of the prize packages, so we were feeling like Convention 2013 is off to a very auspicious start! I forgot to tell my team about a surprise I have for them tomorrow... stay tuned for more news tomorrow night, and in the meantime, be sure to follow me on Instagram (pudgiesmom) and Facebook (Song of My Heart) for quick updates and casual snaps that will give you a little flavor of the excitement we're experiencing here in Salt Lake.

I'm tired, but I can't WAIT for tomorrow.... bring it!!

Can you believe I left these two cuties at home?

Yeah, neither can they!!

Mom and I took off from my parents' house in Wyoming today and drove to Salt Lake City, leaving my babies in the care of (a very capable) Daddy and Grandpa. We are happily ensconced in our hotel and going to attempt to get some sleep here in a few minutes. The next three days are going to be a total blur of activity and fun! I can't wait!

The kids will be fine... daddy and grandpa will survive...mom and I will have a blast... and yes, Natalie and Daniel, I have already visited the Disney Store and the mall and your presents are safely in the suitcase!

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In Love With Color 7/14/13

Welcome to In Love With Color! Weekly color combining inspiration can be easily found at your fingertips. Updated with the latest Stampin' Up colors, and keeping an eye on trends in fashion, home decor and papercrafting, Song of My Heart Stampers will bring you three different color combos every Sunday morning.

Want to play along? Send a link to a project inspired by one of my combos to me at [email protected], and once a month I will pick a favorite to feature on the first Sunday of the month. Enjoy!

This week's color combos:

1. Soft Sky, Cherry Cobbler, Island Indigo, Crumb Cake--seashore
2. Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler--masculine
3. Garden Green, Pool Party, Crumb Cake, So Saffron--playful