My Stampin’ Up! Story

At Leadership, Shelli reminded us of her Stampin' Up! story, and although I had heard it before there were many in the audience that had not, and I will admit I enjoyed hearing it this time just as much as the first time, and I think I enjoyed it more, cause I feel that I know Shelli better now, so it means even more to hear it.

So she told us that we should also share our Stampin' Up! story with our friends, and at workshops too…and well since we are all friends here, I thought I would share my story with you:

"About 12 years ago I was invited to a stamp party by a friend and the
Demonstrator was from a different rubber stamp company. I really
enjoyed the evening and the whole aspect of stamping, but I was not
impressed with the stamps offered or the prices. I did purchase a few
things to help my friend earn hostess benefits.

A few months after I went to my friend's stamp party, I was introduced
to Stampin' Up! (by my now-upline Lori Brand who was a client at my old
job) and my eyes popped out of my head with the beautiful artwork, and
that the stamps came in "sets". I ordered quite a bit over a short
period of time, and finally asked her about signing up "to get the
discount". I know maybe we shouldn't say that, but basically I know I
did not join Stampin' Up! ever thinking I would be still a Demonstrator
11 years later, many trips later, and many many dear friends later. Me,
talk to strangers? Me, sell anything? I couldn't do that…ha! But it's
amazing what you can do when you believe in what you are talking about.

What turned me into a business Demonstrator instead of the girl just
getting a discount, was when my classes started to fill and I had to
turn people away cause I did not have room for them to sit (we pushed
the furniture around in the living room and added a couple banquet
tables.) Then one day our son Eric, who is learning disabled, got beat
up on the way home from school, and my office was 45 minutes away. My
neighbor called to say he was ok, but I still felt that something had
to change.

I gave my notice (which was hard, I must admit, my boss of 10 years was
great and even let me stamp at work as long as I had all my work done)
but that 45 minute drive home every night, and that I could not get to
my son when he needed me made me see things differently. I won't even
mention him calling me at work with the smoke alarm blaring in the
background, that might have been the last straw on me working outside
of the home.

So we converted our 2 car garage into a 20×20 studio and I don't have
to turn anyone away from classes anymore. I was home when Eric got off
the school bus (he is now 21 and working, and I am still home when he gets off
the work bus).

Stampin' Up! has changed our lives, and I am ever grateful for these
"little rubber stamps" and I am glad that Shelli challenged us to tell
our story, and I am enjoying reading everyone's story too."

Thanks for listening.

How about another display sample? Let me look in my little goodie bag of cards…what to show? hmmm…no not that one…maybe this one…yeah that's it…

Stamp Set: Good Neighbors

Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Green Galore, Whisper White

Ink: Basic Black, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Going Gray

Misc: Playground buttons, white taffeta, watercolor pencils

I love these little houses. Makes me remember when we lived in Strathroy (hey Corinne), and we lived in an apartment, and my sister Jacqui and I played with these three sisters, I think the Mum worked with our Mum, I can not remember their names, but I remember the little one they called her Frog.  Isn't that horrible to do to a little child? But yet that is the name I remember.  Anyway, one night we were playing and the oldest girl was using a skateboard, and she went down the little pavement slope that led to the apartment complex and she fell on her arm, and then she was like "I think I broke my arm".  OMG! I have never seen anything like that to this day.  Her arm was like all crooked, one part went this way, and one part went that way, but there was no blood or anything, and I don't even remember the girl crying or anything. In fact I forget pretty much everything after that moment of seeing her crooked arm…  I don't know, but every time I see a kid on a skateboard that is what I think about.  Gee and I got that horrible story from those cute little houses…sorry.

Anyway, I am gonna sign off for now, and call it a night.

Have an awesome Saturday, Jeff said he would take pics of the horseshoe tournament cause I will be inside working. 

Thanks for stopping in!