Welcome to another Thailand Achievers Blog Hop! The theme for this month is: Thailand Incentive Trip Highlights. So follow along and check out all the other blogs in the hop (click on the names of other participants in the list below) so you can see the fun we all had on our 2017 Stampin' Up! incentive trip.
One of the highlights of ANY Stampin' Up! event is swapping. So I thought I'd first share with you my Thailand swap card. Then if you keep scrolling, you'll see photos of some the fun I had when we were 1/2 way around the world!
My swap card was this single waterfall card.
Pull on the string, and the top flap flips open.
It's a pretty detailed one to explain (with LOTS of measurements). So instead of writing it all out, I recorded a live video yesterday on Facebook to share with you all here. Watch it by clicking on the image below. Then let me know if you have any questions.
Here is my original (on the right) with the one I made during this video (on the left) and the extra one I mention in the video wanting to make without the extra Soft Suede cardstock layer (in the middle).
And though this card is complicated to explain without a video, it really wasn't that difficult to make a bunch of them for the swap. You can see below that each section of my card was done for all 26 cards one at a time. So for example, I cut out all the copper leaves, then I cut my Linen Thread. And so on. It is so worth the time to make swaps, because now I have 25 cards from other demonstrators ready to put up in my classroom for inspiration! Yay!
And now for the highlights of my Thailand trip!
The love of my life, Tim joined me. In this photo we are visiting the place where the movie, The Beach (with Leonardo DiCaprio) was filmed.
This excursion took us to all sorts of beautiful sites. I think we took a zillion photos just while we were boating from place to place. But this one below was one of my favorites. We had pretty good weather this day.
Part of that day also included snorkeling, seeing fantastic rock formations, lunch on a beach…
…and swimming in beautiful blue waters.
On another day we went on an excursion zip-lining through the rainforest. I used to lead groups through a high ropes course when I was 21 (my summer job). And since then I've enjoyed trying out zip-lining when I can. This course was very impressive, though…THE best one I've ever experienced!
Midway through the week Stampin' Up! took us all on a special excursion that included visiting other fantastic caves, rock formations (including this famous one that was featured in a James Bond movie)…
…the floating village and more.
I LOVED canoeing through this cave!
The excursion that day ended with lunch and swimming on a beach that seemed to be set aside just for us. Stampin' Up! provided a fancy buffet lunch that seemed to have endless food and beverages.
Here I am with Cheryl Lee, a first time trip achiever in my Stampers With ART Stars group. What a blast is was to be on this trip with her!
And here we are with Susan Campfield, my direct upline. I still can't believe they convinced me to lay down in the sand when my suit was already wet from swimming. Hahaha! (I don't like to get dirty and I whined quite a bit.)
Stampin' Up! spoiled us with a grand event the last evening, too. We were welcomed by Stampin' Up! employees, many from Thailand in beautiful costumes and elephants!
In this photo below, one of the elephants is reaching out and touching my hand. (Susan took the photo not realizing the elephant was making contact with me at the time.) So cool!!
The decorations, the entertainment and the food were amazing!
I even enjoyed some fresh coconut water.
Oh! I need to show you my room!
We were spoiled!! Tim and I stayed in a two-bedroom loft that boasted a kitchen, a bathroom, a walk-out deck, a dining area and a living room on the first level. Then the next level up had our master bedroom and bathroom looking out into the lagoon. Above that was the second bedroom with two beds and another bathroom that looked out at part of the resort's pool.
And then at the very top was another deck. Had it not been so hot and humid (July is the rainy season there), we probably would've enjoyed a meal or two up there.
We got pillow gifts, prizes and more throughout the week. I took photos of everything, but I can't share many of them because they feature new products that I can't show yet. I can show this photo though. It was the first gift we received from Stampin' Up!… A basket of local fruits were in the room when we arrived. And it lasted us the whole week.
Here I am eating rambutan. Yum!!
We didn't venture outside the resort except for when we were on our excursions and for a dinner with Susan, her son Joe, Cheryl and her friend Jayne. But the resort itself was huge! There were parts we never saw. And the landscaping was so beautiful – filled with local plants, birds, geckos, and interesting insects like this bee!
Each day we could go to Stampin' Up!'s hospitality room to win prizes, eat treats, get drinks, look at swaps on display and visit. Look! More rambutan. I loved those fuzzy fruits!!
There were several more swap boards, but I have got to stop somewhere. LOL
(Do you see my swap card?)
Thanks for checking out my blog today. Have fun on the hop. And remember to stamp your art out! 🙂
Product List
P.S. – The Holiday Catalog is coming!
Those of us demonstrators who attended the Thailand incentive trip have the fabulous, new Holiday Catalog in our hands! If you wish to receive a complimentary copy in August, please let me know now. Those that ordered at least $75 worth of product from me between March 1, 2017 and July 27, 2017 will get one at no cost. If you didn't order at least $75 worth and you live too far from me to come pick up a copy, then I just ask that you pay the shipping costs. But I'd love to know how many to order, so please let me know if you wish to get one.