Hello! Sorry I am so bad at keeping my blog updated! I guess you all know I keep pretty busy around here though ;)
Last week, I attended Stampin' Up!'s annual convention in Salt Lake City. I didn't want to miss it this year because October was my 5-year anniversary with them, so I got to walk on stage! My best friend, Shannon, was right up there with me. We drove up to Salt Lake together, stopping on the way and on the way back to visit with my family in St George and Eagle Mountain, UT.
First day was check-in and we received our convention bags with our free stamp sets to use for our make and take projects (including one of my very favorites from the new catalog: Just Believe!), a copy of the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog and a Holiday mini-catalog (OMGoodness, it's filled to the brim with awesomeness!!), and a convention pen and pin... and our wristbands which could win us prizes throughout convention.
Bag and goodies above... close-up of my pins below, from 4 conventions and one Leadership Conference... (Share What You Love was this year's theme.)
That evening, SU! held a "Flower Power Party" complete with stamping demonstrations, games (Twister, anyone?), face painting, qualifying rounds for the annual game show, wristband prize drawings, and of course, 60's music and tons of fun/wild costumes!
Here's mine... Would you believe I found this at JC Penney's? Originally $70, on clearance for $13! And since I had a gift card, it was actually free :) And the boots were a loan from my cousin in St George! Thanks Barbie :) And thanks, Aunt Dianne! She gave me the earrings and black ribbon for my headband and I added the daisy using the Big Shot.
Here's me with Shelli Gardner (CEO & Co-Founder of Stampin' Up!) and her husband, Sterling...
Me with my twin, who was equally surprised to find this dress at Penney's! LOL...
And me and Shannon...
Shannon and I happened to get the same color of wristband in our bags, and we both won at the party! We won a cute Christmas stamp set from the Holiday mini (demos couldn't even pre-order it yet!) and roll of 1/8" Real Red taffeta ribbon!
After the Flower Power party, we had another activity to get to. First, let me explain for those who don't know, that at convention (or any SU! event) people bring "swaps." Mostly, people make cards, sometimes scrapbook pages (usually 6x6), or other items... You make as many as you want of the same design, then go around trading them with other swappers and come home with that many new ideas! I've known of some who bring 500 swaps or more! I've usually stuck to a much smaller amount. Maybe 2-3 designs, 20-40 of each.
Swapping...
But, we didn't have time to make many general swaps this year because we signed up for an organized swap with 50 people: Barbara Jackson's "Over the Top" swap... We were to make 51 cards (the extra one was for the contest and for Barbara to keep), at least 3 layers, something on the inside as well as the outside, and a technique or embellishment that "takes it over the top." There were a lot of rules, but we knew that we were going to end up with 50 of the BEST swaps at convention!! And did we ever! I will share some of them in another post, after I get a chance to take pictures.
With Barbara... (my flower power dress really clashed with the evening's Christmas theme...lol)...
The evening was not just about swapping the cards either, Barbara went all out for us! First we turned in our swaps and sat down to (quickly) enjoy some delicious cheesecake! Then she had several make and takes prepared for us. Because we were at the end of the line getting in the door, we didn't get to finish everything, but we stamped whatever we needed to so we could just assemble at home. I will also share pics of those after I take them.
Barbara with all the OTT swap bags...
And here are two of my upline enjoying the make and takes... Kathy on the far right, and Evie just to her left...
I'll be back with more soon! And if you got one of my OTT swaps and came here with any questions about it, I'll be trying to do a tutorial soon! :)
And I thought I was going to go back through and add the pics I do have right now, but I'm outta time! So, pics coming soon!!
Hey! Can you believe I actually added the pics within a day of saying I would?? LOL!! I still have to take pics of the OTT swaps and projects though... Well, it's a good start anyway! And there's a ton more to talk about and share pics of... Everything I have shared so far is from before convention officially started!
Back later! :)
