Can you believe I am ‘still’ trying to get back into the swing of things since returning from the Stampin’ Up! Convention in Canberra! Although, I do believe, some of the problem is dealing with the cooler weather which seems to have just shown up without a warning! I suffer from Fibromyalgia so the colder weather really does affect me to no end – must be time to visit my Dr and get a little extra help for the winter chills. Sometimes I really do think I should have been a bear and then I could just hibernate for the winter.

One of the great things about convention is the swaps. I only had time to make 40 swaps this year so they didnt last very long. These are the cards I made.

The card made with the Inspired by Nature stamp set I did in a variety of colours and some were done using Poppin Pastels technique and some where done using the Direct to Rubber with the markers.

So although I only did 40 swaps I still returned home with 40 different cards to inspire and case.

Two of the swaps I recieved I did case and use for my Stamp A Stacks last Saturday and Monday and the ladies really loved them too. I cased cards from two special friends – the lovely Kerri Hunter and Nicki Tidbold. These two great demonstrators have become very dear friends through Stampin’ Up! and I am blessed to called them friends.

This first one is the card I made after casing one of Kerri’s swaps. Its a simple but elegant card and very easy to make and all with just one stamp set – Pocket Silhouettes.

Recipe:

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes
Inks: Sahara Sand, Basic Black
Paper: Tangerine Tango, Whisper White
Accessories: Stampin Write Markers, Small Oval Punch, Sponges, Dimensionals

This second card was cased from one of Nicki’s Swaps.

This is another simple but elegant card and I’m a great admirer of Nicki’s work. She also did a presentation at convention on making Male themed cards which was awesome – well done Nic!

Recipe:

Stamps: Eastern Blooms
Inks: Regal Rose, Basic Black
Paper: Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Sweet Always DSP
Accessories: Small Oval Punch, Sponge Daubers, Chocolate Chip 1/4″ Grosgrain, Dimensionals, Dazzling Diamonds, 2 way glue pen, Scallop Border punch.

So as you can see Convention is more than just going and attending the business talks and the make & takes – its also about friendships and the swaps!!

If you’ve been thinking that you’d like to try Stampin’ Up! to earn a little extra cash then now is the perfect time to join. You can choose to purchase the full Starter kit at just $324 or for the month of May you can join for just $150 by purchasing the Scrapbooking Starter Kit.

The Scrapbooking Starter Kit includes ….

You will also receive all the business tools you need to start with order forms, catalogues, dvd, sample sheets and so much more – you will also then receive a montly newsletter from Stampin Up highlighting techniques, tips and more samples! This along with being part of my lovely team so you’ll also get my team newsletters and access to a great team forum for even more help and inspiration – not to mention the demonstrator discount and all the rewards you can earn along the way.

One of the things that drew me to Stampin’ Up is that there is no pressure to perform or to do demonstrations and such – its all up to you just how much or how little you do. Its up to you if you want to be a hobby demonstrator and purchase products at a discount for you and your friends or if you want to do this as a business – you can also swap between the two at any time – its all up to you!

So if you’d like more information or maybe you have some questions regarding the cards I’ve shared today or about becoming a demonstrator then please email or ring me when its convenient for you.