Convention, here I come!

This year marks Stampin' Up's! 25th Anniversary.  There is excitement in the air, many demos anxiously awaiting the opening gatherings and ceremonies!!!  Swaps are being made, clothes being rolled tight to accommodate all those swaps---that's what's important, right? :)
This is what I have been holed up in my craft room working on the past few days.....yes, I said days, not weeks.  This is because I was visiting family in Ohio for a few weeks.  I did a lot of planning while I was up there so I could come home and get right to work.  It didn't hurt that the rest of my dear family went to various camps and left me to fend for myself.....in my stamp room.....coming up for air every few hours. :)

The photos above are for my 3D swap. :)  Saw an idea on Pinterest and LOVED it!

I would not have survived these past few days without my "addiction"........

Huge Diet Coke....LOTS of ice.  They know me well, there.  It's really sad going out of town and having to search for just the right fountain drink.  :)

Next up, my full card swaps for the HUGE group I am a part of!  I used some NEW things coming out in the future Holiday Catalog!!!  LOVE the catalog!  Wait until you see it....should be coming soon to a mailbox near you!  If you are not on my mailing list and would like to see one, let me know!  The Holiday Catalog goes "live" on August 1st!

And finally....packing, packing, packing!  My dad would be proud of the packer he has taught me to be!  It's like a puzzle, without the picture to help you!  I love putting the pieces all together to fit just the right way!

Erin and I are off to SLC tomorrow!  Wish us much luck with Prize Patrol, swapping, and just generally taking it all in and enjoying the excitement SU! has planned for us!

Maybe next year YOU will join me! Who knows?? :) 

Happy Stampin'!

-Denise

Convention 2013 bound and my SU! (hi)story.....

from a few weeks ago.....
Hello Friends!
I have had an exciting week!  This week was the start to Stampin' Up!'s registration for Convention 2013 to be held in Salt Lake City this coming July.  I am even more excited that ever because this is SU!'s 25th Anniversary year!  The excitement is brewing and the ladies that I am going with are all aflutter with excitedness! :) 
This is my 13th year as an Independent Demonstrator with this fabulous company.  I am so glad to be a part of this--I can't imagine my life without it! 
It all started in February of 2000 when my friend, Cheryl, asked me if I wanted to go to a stamp workshop after exercise class with her.  I had always loved to stamp and used my collection a lot in my classroom and to make cards and invitations for my friends and family.  But up until that point, I had never heard of Stampin' Up!. 
So, we get to the workshop and I get introduced to the demonstrator.  I'm thinking to myself, I will just get a fun stamp set (they only had sets back then) and I will be able to just go get an ink pad from the local craft store.  Surely, there all the same.....
I loved the demonstration and ordered the Hydrangea stamp set.  I decided I would go look at the craft store the next day to pick out my ink colors.  Little did I know that when you want specific shades of purple to use with your Hydrangea stamps......YOU COULDN'T FIND THEM IN A STORE!!!  By the time my stamp set was delivered to me, I had already known what my next purchase would be....yep, ink pads!
My friend, Cheryl, booked the next workshop at the school we were working at.  That day arrived and I was ready with my order.  I still hadn't used my stamps because I could not find the ink! ahhhhh!
The order was placed, loved the workshop and I was on the calendar for the next workshop, scheduled in April.
Before I even had a chance to get my attendee list together, I spoke with my demonstrator and asked what I would need to sign up. :)  With a little support from my friends, I bit the bullet and the rest is history!  If you attended my first workshop (there were about 30 people that attended!) I was more nervous than any first day of school! But, I made it through!  I cannot imagine my life without Stampin' Up!
Through this journey, I have made so many friendships I would have otherwise missed out on.
What is something you want to do?  What are you waiting for?