While I missed having team members attend with me, I was happy to hang out with a few friends:

Heather Heroldt and her friend, Sarah Edwards (not pictured), also from Arizona, signed up for the same track of classes and hung out together at the general sessions.  We were excited on the first day (L), and at the end with the all-attendee giveaway of Season of Cheer Designer Series Paper (R)!

Shallon Vickers (2nd from right) is a demonstrator from New Bedford, Nova Scotia, with whom I've been Facebook friends since Convention in 2013.  She, along with her team members Ann and Cathy, met up with me for dinner on Friday night.

These are pics of me with my penultimate upline, Jill Olsen.  She joined under Shelli Gardner when SU! was formed 27 years ago, and her downline group is called Creative Stampers.  She held an informal get-together and swap at lunch on Friday, and graciously posed for pictures with all who asked.  Her husband has a great sense of humor and kept photobombing people as he held the sign.

Sara Douglass, Shelli Gardner's daughter and Interim CEO, was posing at a photo booth with demonstrators.

I caught up with Brian Pilling, Director of Communications at lunchtime one day.  That morning he announced several changes to how SU! communicates with demonstrators that I think are very positive, and I was glad to tell him so.

Even though I was "on my own," I never felt alone in a crowd at this gathering.   At breakfast in the hotel I shared table space with other demonstrators, chatting about where we came from and how this convention compared with past ones.    I will not worry again about going by myself to an SU! event.

You know it's supposed to be a surprise each month, right?  Well, I'm going to drop a big hint about the next 2 months: 

•  August has a great vintage look...I'm excited about it and I'm not that into vintage!  
• September has an Autumn treat theme which is suitable for Halloween, but is NOT all orange and black.  It will be great for general Fall and Thanksgiving projects, too.
  

Be sure to sign up before August 10 to get the August kit, and use the HALFOFF promo code to get 2 months at half price!

I had a ton of fun at Inspire, Create, Share 2015 last week.  It always seems like it takes forever for Convention time to roll around, and then it's over in a flash!

I love how attendees are wrapped in a convention "bubble" - the hotels and Salt Palace Convention Center and neighboring businesses were all decked out to welcome us:

The first order of business is to pick up our convention bag, which contained the schedule, Prize Patrol wristband, make-and-take supplies, and a stamp set.

This is a small messenger bag or a large purse...a great size and lots of pockets both inside the bright red lining and in the charcoal-gray wool felt exterior.  I see using this  in my everyday life - bonus!

The big event was the unveiling of this year's Holiday Catalog.  I have to say, this is the best one yet!  Here are a few sneak peeks at projects made with items that will be available to order on September 1:

shaker Christmas card kit and fun tag kit

window framelit with coordinating stamp scenes

More scene stamps and framelits, along with a great new embossing folder!

Square pillow gift box framelit, poinsettia punch and coordinating stamp set, and this awesome set with the two-step stamping cardinal image plus more!

This is just the tip of the iceberg with this catalog...and I'm eager for you to get one!  If you've ordered from me since January I will send you on automatically...if not, please send me an email and I'll get one to you.

At Convention I got to take a sneak peek at the August and September Paper Pumpkin kits. If you've been a skeptic and holding out on subscribing, now is the time to get off the fence and join!    

I can't show you any pictures...there were Stampin' Up! staff posted in the booth to make sure we didn't take any...but let me assure you that they are TOO STINKIN' CUTE!   Both months' exclusive stamp sets are versatile for a variety of projects once your kit materials are used up, and you will be so happy you own them.

Not convinced yet?  Maybe a half-off deal will convince you...sign up before August 10 to be sure to get the August kit!

Right now, first-time Paper Pumpkin subscribers can skip to savings with 50% off the first two months! Go to PaperPumpkin.com and use promo code “HALFOFF” by September 10. And each month, you’ll enjoy a fully designed project kit delivered right to your door with stamps, ink, and paper—everything cut and ready to go.

After your first two months, you’ll want to keep the creativity coming for just $19.95 + tax per month (shipping included). 

We guarantee you’ll love it, and you can cancel or suspend your membership at any time so there’s nothing holding you back. 

(For first-time subscribers only, not valid on prepaid subscriptions. Discount applied to one kit per month for the first two months of a new subscription. Offer ends September 10, 2015 at 11:50 PM (MT).)

Sign up at PaperPumpkin.com by September 10 with promo code HALFOFF!

I just got home from Inspire, Create, Share 2015, Stampin' Up!'s annual convention, where I got to take a sneak peek at the August and September Paper Pumpkin kits.

If you've been a skeptic and holding out on subscribing, now is the time to get off the fence and join!    

I can't show you any pictures...there were Stampin' Up! staff posted in the booth to make sure we didn't take any...but let me assure you that they are TOO STINKIN' CUTE!   Both months' exclusive stamp sets are versatile for a variety of projects once your kit materials are used up, and you will be so happy you own them.

Not convinced yet?  Maybe a half-off deal will convince you...sign up before August 10 to be sure to get the August kit!

Right now, first-time Paper Pumpkin subscribers can skip to savings with 50% off the first two months! Go to PaperPumpkin.com and use promo code “HALFOFF” by September 10. And each month, you’ll enjoy a fully designed project kit delivered right to your door with stamps, ink, and paper—everything cut and ready to go.

After your first two months, you’ll want to keep the creativity coming for just $19.95 + tax per month (shipping included). 

We guarantee you’ll love it, and you can cancel or suspend your membership at any time so there’s nothing holding you back. 

(For first-time subscribers only, not valid on prepaid subscriptions. Discount applied to one kit per month for the first two months of a new subscription. Offer ends September 10, 2015 at 11:50 PM (MT).)

Sign up at PaperPumpkin.com by September 10 with promo code HALFOFF!

I'm typing this in my hotel room the night before Convention begins, soaking up the peace and quiet after a day filled with traveling, lunch with a friend, and a crowded, fun-filled 1.5 hours of crafting at a pre-conference stamp camp put on by several demonstrators (I'll show you those projects another day).

Today I'll show you what I've prepped to bring.

First, here's my name badge with an add-on tag showing the name of my penultimate upline's group.  She sends these out each year to attendees so she can identify the thousands who "belong" to her.  Next to it is the bag tag I made for my convention bag, 'cuz there's gonna be thousands of them in the convention center for the next few days!  One of the exciting surprises is to see what the bag looks like...just 12 hours and we'll know!

While I am not doing any "real" swapping, either generally with other attendees or in any organized swaps, I did bring along a few cards for specific purposes.

You may know that SU! partners with the Ronald McDonald House Charities each year (the Sprinkles of Life set is the RMHC set this year - a portion of the $ you pay to purchase it goes to RMHC).  There's a collection of all kinds of cards happening at Convention to be distributed to the RMHs all over the country for use by the staff and residents.  I went through my stash and brought a couple to donate.

SU! also has swap boards that people can put one or more of their creations on, and I've brought a couple for that purpose, too.

I also have a couple of friends that I'm planning on swapping with, and this is what I made for that:

And then, sometimes you see a card someone is swapping and you just really want it, so I have a couple of cards to have on hand just in case!

While I'm off getting lots of new ideas and inspiration to share with you, place an order of $50 or more through my online store using this Host Code ( MZUZ92HU) to receive an awesome new product from the 2015 Holiday Catalog.

What will the product be?  I don't know yet - I haven't seen the new catalog!  It may be a paper stack, or a spool of great ribbon, or a card kit, or a pack of sparkly embellishments, or....  Whatever it is, it's gonna be great, and it's gonna be free to you!

Just remember to order at least $50 of product and enter this Host Code (MZUZ92HU) during checkout to qualify to receive your new goodie!

Orders must be placed by 11:59 pm on Sunday, July 26. 

Last Friday I held the first team meeting since last Fall!  It was nice to finally have (most) of the gang together to talk about things happening at SU! and to stamp together!

We have a tradition of doing a shoebox swap at our meetings, where each team member prepares a card and teaches it to the rest of the team.  This gives the team members experience prepping and teaching cards to others...and gives me a rare chance to stamp a few cards that someone else has prepped!

Here's what my fabulous team members brought:

Ellen showed us how to make this neat, flip-up butterfly note card!

Jan helped us fill our never-ending need for a stash of sympathy cards:

And Nickie taught us to make this darling card and accompanying paper bag card holder:

This week I will be at Stampin' Up!'s 2015 North American Convention - the last of it's kind!  I will do my best to write some blog posts while I'm there, but be sure to like and follow the Nancy's Nifty Notes Facebook Page for breaking announcements and pictures.  

I'm excited to get my first look at the 2015 Holiday Catalog, and to see some stamping friends from all across North America.  Stay tuned...

While I'm off getting lots of new ideas and inspiration to share with you, place an order of $50 or more through my online store using this Host Code ( MZUZ92HU) to receive an awesome new product from the 2015 Holiday Catalog.


What will the product be?  I don't know yet - I haven't seen the new catalog!  It may be a paper stack, or a spool of great ribbon, or a card kit, or a pack of sparkly embellishments, or....  Whatever it is, it's gonna be great, and it's gonna be free to you!

Just remember to order at least $50 of product and enter this Host Code (MZUZ92HU) during checkout to qualify to receive your new goodie!

I know I haven't posted in a week, I realized today.  Sigh.  I have once again been very busy with the kitchen remodel, and with prepping and teaching a card class.  The kitchen is sooooooo close to being finished; we're able to use the sink, counters and appliances, but are still waiting for the last of the lighting, the backsplash, and for cabinet doors and drawer fronts and hardware to be installed so we can reload everything.  It's a big improvement over our temporary set-up, but things have seemed to slow down the closer we get to the end (kinda like losing that last bit of weight before you reach your goal!).

For this month's class I decided to show how one suite of products can be used in multiple ways.  I chose the Build a Birthday stamp set, along with the Cherry On Top Designer Series Paper Stack and Designer Washi Tape.  Here are the fun projects:

CASE'd from Jessica Winters.

CASE'd from Meg Loven.

CASE'd from LeeAnn Greff.

This coordinating card and tag were CASE'd from the Stampin' Up! 2015-2016 Annual Catalog.

This cute bag was made with the new SU! Gift Bag Punch Board, and CASE'd from Jill Franchett.

This week I will be at Stampin' Up!'s 2015 North American Convention - the last of it's kind!  I will do my best to write some blog posts while I'm there, but be sure to like and follow the Nancy's Nifty Notes Facebook Page for breaking announcements and pictures.  

I'm excited to get my first look at the 2015 Holiday Catalog, and to see some stamping friends from all across North America.  Stay tuned...

While I'm off getting lots of new ideas and inspiration to share with you, place an order of $50 or more through my online store using this Host Code ( MZUZ92HU) to receive an awesome new product from the 2015 Holiday Catalog.


What will the product be?  I don't know yet - I haven't seen the new catalog!  It may be a paper stack, or a spool of great ribbon, or a card kit, or a pack of sparkly embellishments, or....  Whatever it is, it's gonna be great, and it's gonna be free to you!

Just remember to order at least $50 of product and enter this Host Code (MZUZ92HU) during checkout to qualify to receive your new goodie!

I played along with the Mojo Monday sketch challenge this week to make this card, which is part of an ongoing series of bicycle cards being made for a friend.

Astute readers will notice that I've used a number of retired products.  The DSP is from 2 years ago...saved for the cute bicycle print.  It dictated the other colors...most of the bicycle frames are in retired In Colors. I chose Crisp Cantaloupe to pair with Bermuda Bay.  Both stamp sets are retired: the bicycle is from Life Cycles, and the sentiment is from Because You Care.

While you will most often see me using current items in my blog, it's fun to pull out old favorites to use in new ways. 

Lots of things happening in the kitchen today...counters are being installed as I type this, and then appliances and plumbing go in this afternoon.  The drawers and cabinet doors need to be installed next week, but I'm planning on using the kitchen to cook dinner tonight!

In the meantime I'll be working on a few cards I'll be taking to Convention to swap with some friends.  Stay tuned for pictures of both the kitchen and the cards!

I have spent a good deal of time this week working with the Build a Birthday set in the bright colors of the Cherry on Top DSP Paper Stack and Washi Tape to get ready for next week's classes (see below).  

Today I wanted to use a couple of more muted new products:  Expressions Natural Elements are thin wood cuts saying, "Thanks," "Celebrate," and "Congrats."  The  Corrugated Paper has 4 thin, finely corrugated 12x12 sheets, 3 Kraft and 2 White.

I cut the Kraft Corrugated Paper with one of the new Lots of Labels Framelits that fit the "Celebrate" element perfectly.  Then I stamped 3 of the Build a Birthday striped candles in Soft Suede and hand cut them.  I glued the candles to the label piece, then the "Celebrate" on top.  

I played around with several other elements, including spatter stamps, swirls of Natural Linen Thread, sequins, and finally decided to leave the card very simple.  I just glued the label with all the layers to the Thick Whisper White card base and stamped candle flames in So Saffron.

I'm doing something bit different this month:  all projects will use the same stamp set!  I thought it would be fun to show how you can made a variety of projects with limited supplies.  I had so much fun making them that you get a bonus, sixth project!


Class size is kept small to make a great crafting experience for novice and experienced stampers.

Monday, July 13
Monthly Class in Scottsdale
9:30 - 12:00 noon  
$20.00
RSVP by noon, Friday, 7/10


Tuesday, July 14
Monthly Class in Peoria
6:30 - 9:00 pm  
$20.00
RSVP by noon, Friday, 7/10


Wednesday, July 15
Monthly Class in Scottsdale
6:30 - 9:00 pm  
$20.00
RSVP by noon, Friday, 7/10

Note:  for the first time I've had to raise my class fee due to SU!'s price increases. Thanks for your understanding.

The last few days my stamping time has been taken up with getting 200 very small wedding favor tags printed, cut, and stamped.    But tonight I got a chance to play along with Connie Stewart's Stampin' Gals Gone Wild Facebook Group Weekend Challenge.

I used the sunburst from Kinda Eclectic on a Thick Whisper White card base in Daffodil Delight, and then again on a 2" x 5.5" strip of Whisper White.  The strip was run through the Big Shot with the new Elegant Dots embossing folder, and glued to the card base.  The clouds from Sprinkles of Life were stamped in Smoky Slate and punched out with the coordinating punch.  I also punched two cloud shapes from silver foil card stock and layered them behind the stamped clouds.  I popped them up with Dimensionals on either side of the sunburst.  The sentiment is also from Sprinkles of Life and stamped in Smoky Slate.

Below is the sketch challenge for this week...how do you think I did?

My kitchen remodeling project is advanced to the point I feel comfortable scheduling classes this month.  Join me to make 5 great summertime projects!  Class size is kept small to make a great crafting experience for novice and experienced stampers.

Monday, July 13
Monthly Class in Scottsdale
9:30 - 12:00 noon  
$20.00
RSVP by noon, Friday, 7/10


Tuesday, July 14
Monthly Class in Peoria
6:30 - 9:00 pm  
$20.00
RSVP by noon, Friday, 7/10


Wednesday, July 15
Monthly Class in Scottsdale
6:30 - 9:00 pm  
$20.00
RSVP by noon, Friday, 7/10

Note:  for the first time I've had to raise my class fee due to SU!'s price increases. Thanks for your understanding.