My New Blog

Hello My Dear Stamping Friends,

I'm just adding a quick note here to let you know that I'm planning to write a blog; it will probably take me a few days to get it up and running.

Jim copied in a couple of posts from our regular travel blog about my Nashville trip. What a time that was—it was snowing in Nashville, if you can believe it. But after the Manager's reception dinner (which Jim tells you about), we never went outside. Everything was under one roof. When we walked out of one “building” into the “outdoors”, it felt like Hawaii with very gentle breezes blowing.

I'll send a note out about stamp camp soon. In the meantime, here are the details. Remember that you can just email me pat@stampinlady.com or call me at 303-674-6435 if you have any questions.

Sale-a-Bration Stamp Camp

and Potluck Lunch

February 19 & 20, 2011

In response to your requests and my missing seeing you, I've scheduled Stamp Camp for Saturday, February 19 & Sunday, February 20, 2001. It will be held at 2222 E. 18^th Avenue, Unit C, in Denver, from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. We can give you great details of the location.

First, in case you aren't familiar with Sale-a-Bration, please let me tell you about it. It's Stampin' Up!'s best sale of the year. For every $50 that you spend (before shipping & tax), you get to choose a FREE product—stamp set, designer paper, accessories, or décor elements. It is such a great deal!!!

At stamp camp you'll make 15 projects (probably all cards), and there will be a bonus project or two. It will be a great day of stamping fun and you can bring your friends. There will be door prizes and special prices on products.

The stamp camp fee will start at $45; it will be $35 for club members (you still have time to become a club member—I'll be happy to tell you all about it if you like). There are ways that you can reduce those prices.

• $10 discount on fee by hosting a Sale-a-Bration workshop to be held before March 7, 2011. Party (workshop) total must reach at least $300 in order to receive the discount.

We'll have lots of fun at your party and you will earn lots of FREE Stampin' Up!

products.

• Reduce your fee to $25 by placing orders totaling $150 in January, February, & March

You may place a $50 order each month or you may place one order of $150 and

receive hostess benefits. (totals are before shipping and tax.) If you're a club

member and place your $50 orders each month through the club (allowing those

months' hostesses to gain hostess benefits from your order), you may choose a

door prize as soon as you walk in the door to stamp camp. You will also be in the

drawings for other door prizes.

• Sign up to become a demonstrator and you may attend for FREE

• If you live out of state and want to participate, you may pay the fee as above and I'll make the cards for you. (Depending upon the number of out-of-state participants, it might take me awhile to get them to you.)

Now for some details: there will be 15 projects as well as a couple of bonus projects. You'll need to mail me a check or paypal me to pay your fee by February 1 so that I'll know how much card stock to order and cut. Please let me know as soon as possible that you'd like to attend and which day you want to reserve. I can take only 24 reservations for each day, so don't miss out.

We'll have a potluck lunch each day (of course, you can always pick up something at the store to bring). You'll also need to bring your beverages for the day. The facility has a microwave and a large refrigerator.

Please let me know if you have any questions. You can reach me at 303-674-6435 or you can email or paypal me at pat@stampinlady.com I so hope you can come; I can't wait to see you.

Happy stamping, Pat

Hello from Nashville, TN – Number 2

Hello from Nashville, TN – Number 2

Originally posted by Jim on our travel blog (here)

Thursday morning January 13, 2011 (Second travelogue of this trip).

Hey, this is kind of fun. Pat has been sending me some photos from her phone and I will include a few of them. We have not been able to talk much, but I am gathering from the photos that she is having a wonderful time – as usual.

My wonderful wife of 47 years!

First, she has described the Gaylord hotel as “unbelievable”. It must be spectacular and very luxurious. I asked her if there was any signs of the flood damage from this the terrible floods this spring and she said that she did not see any. 

Pat at the hotel

A view of the hotel

For those of you who do not know much about Pat's association with Stampin' Up!, I need to give you some background. First of all, the Stampin' Up website will tell you a bit about the company (click here). Pat has been a demonstrator for them for over 11 years. She maintains the executive level and has almost 80 other demonstrators in her organization. She has earned eight wonderful cruises/trips. The last one was in 2009 to Hawaii (documented in our blog starting here). She has a website that ultimately links with her page on the SU website (here).

Stampin' Up! is a wonderful company with fantastic products. But, more importantly, they truly appreciate their demonstrators and treat them very well. I often say that it would be difficult to earn a large income with the company, but the experience is unmatched. It is wonderful to attend one of the conventions, or go on one of their cruises, and see how much positive impact that the company has on these demonstrators.

I mentioned the fact in the last blog that Pat was invited (as were some of her downline who have achieved the manager level) to the Manager's dinner  last night. Stampin' Up! always makes this a “big deal”. They do not tell the managers where the dinner will be held until they board the buses. Last night's dinner was at the Wildhorse Saloon (link). I have not talked to her since that dinner, but one of the photos suggests that they had a lot of fun {grin}.

I probably need to clarify “fun”. When we attend the functions, it is interesting to note that there is almost no drinking (indeed, Pat can not drink alcohol because or her Rheumatoid Arthritis medications). We often laugh at the fact that when SU charters a large ship for the cruises, the ship companies must cringe – the bar charges must be almost nonexistent.

The ladies at the Wildhorse Saloon

I mentioned in the last post that the ladies love to swap cards. The photo below shows that activity, but not the frenzied level that I have witnessed {grin}

Swapping cards

I had intended this post to be a simple introduction to some photos that Pat sent me, but I have rambled on – as usual.

Hello From Nashville, TN

Hello from Nashville, TN




(Originally posted by Jim on our travel blog:  (here)


Wednesday morning   January 12, 2011   (First travelogue of this trip).


Well, this will be a strange travelogue.  You see, I am writing this from Evergreen, CO, but Pat is in Nashville for a Stampin' Up! Leadership Convention. 


Yesterday, I drove her to the airport so that she could attempt to get to Nashville.  I use the word “attempt” advisedly, as that part of the country is having terrible weather and Nashville was basically shut down Monday and the airport was closed.  It turns out that her flight was only delayed about an hour.


The snow and ice have played havoc with the area.  Several of the demonstrators came in early with the intent of doing some sightseeing on Monday.  With the weather conditions, that did not happen.


Pat is staying at the Gaylord Hotel (link) in the Opryland complex (map).  Actually she spent last night at a different hotel, as the Gaylord was booked up for another convention.  She is getting ready to move today.


Apparently, the hotel adjoins the conference center so the demonstrators will not have to brave the elements.  That said, she will be attending the Manager's Dinner tonight and that is off premises.  I think she said that they will have buses.


I have only experienced these kinds of gatherings a few times.  Obviously, there was a lot of similar activities on the cruises.  I did go with Pat to a Stampin' Up! Convention in Salt Lake city a couple of years ago.  I can not begin to describe to you the energy that is involved with these events.  There are hundreds of demonstrators, all having a huge amount of fun and learning all kinds of neat stuff.


One activity that really defies description is what they call swapping.  The demonstrators make up items with the Stampin' Up! products  and then swap with each other to get new ideas.  Pat typically does 100-200 cards and or decorative items (this year, a neat candy holder).  I witnessed one swapping session that was nothing short of a fish feeding frenzy.  That is not a great picture, but I think you get the idea {grin}.


She is usually very busy and only has a few minutes to talk on the phone.  I will try to pass on some details as I get them.