Back on November 13th, when I shared pictures from Stampin’ Up!’s OnStage event in Vienna, Austria, I promised to also share photos from outside of the event…the sightseeing and fun I had in the days surrounding and following the convention.
Vienna is a beautiful city! I hope to go again someday if I’m able. The buildings and architecture are stunning. I love that the focus is very earth-friendly. There is an elaborate system of mass transit that’s very widely used, affordable and clean. And there is a focus on recycling and using very little plastic. Because everything is so close together, many people walk from place to place. And people of all income levels live mixed together…there aren’t ritzy areas and poor areas of the city.
Here are just a few of the photos I took.
There are horses and buggies everywhere as a sign of the past, and for tourist fun. I never took a ride but maybe will if I come back with my husband someday.
My friend Phil from my high school years lives in Vienna with his wife Cris and two daughters, Nora and Laia. I stayed with them after OnStage ended.
And Phil was amazing! He took me anywhere I wanted to go and he knew a LOT about Vienna! It was like having my own personal tour guide. We walked all over! In fact, he picked me up from the airport and kept me awake by sightseeing with me right away. I don’t even remember where many of these photos were taken (and many were taken on the later part of the trip when I was well-rested…Hahaha), but it was fun to capture the insides and outsides of so many places.
The high arched doorways on the ground level of many buildings, for example, were once entrances that horses and riders could go through.
Phil pointed out embassies, palaces, museums, memorials, statues, churches…
He helped me and my convention roommate, Zoe, get into the Staatsoper Opera house on one of our free nights during OnStage.
We rode a revolving elevator, saw where Mozart had once lived, and I learned about significant places during WWII…
We saw things lit up at night, and during the day.
St. Stephens Cathedral in the center of the city was spectacular! I photographed it quite a few times. I even went on a tour of the catacombs beneath.
Then there were the Christmas Markets! I loved shopping the Christmas Markets that were just starting to spring up here and there. We went during the day and once at night with Cris and Nora.
The things being sold were so unique. (That’s chocolate in the lower right!)
I photographed a TON of the beautiful foods. But because of my digestive sensitivities I didn’t try much. This café below was super popular. In fact there was long line when we arrived. But because of Phil’s academic title, we went to the front of the line and got in so I could see inside and take photos.
This was just a small sampling of the beautiful pastries there!
I caved in when we went to this chocolatier.
And I caved in even more when the place that offered gluten free apple strudel ran out. I was craving it pretty badly by then. So I ate one that WASN’T gluten free.
This is another place I was excited to shop in: Boesner. Cris took me here during her lunch break one day. It’s a large store full of art and crafting supplies.
Phil’s family was so good to me. (Here I am crafting and drawing with Nora.)
And here we are out to eat on my last night there.
We are talking about having them come to Minnesota to visit. Hopefully that will happen! It would be fun to see all of them again and show them my little part of the world. I miss Vienna, but it’s wonderful to be home again with my family.
STAMP-N-STORAGE HOLIDAY SALE
It’s that time of year! Stamp-n-Storage is having their big Holiday Sale!
Midnight to 5AM Central Time: 20% off Three-Tier Paper Holders with coupon code BFMS22.
10AM – 3PM Central Time: 20% off all 8.5×11 Paper Holders, 12×12 Paper Holders, 8.5×11 Max for IKEA, and all Paper Punches with coupon code BFDB22.
I’m a huge fan of Stamp-n-Storage products. I have several of their organizers in my craft space. They have SOOOOoo many products to keep your crafting space organized. So be sure to click here and shop. And then take advantage of the Holiday Sale deals if you plan to purchase.
Click here to shop my online store. Click here to access & view the current catalogs. Click here to shop My Favorite Extras. Click here to subscribe to those fun Paper Pumpkin kits of creativity! Click here to learn about my Loyalty Rewards program. You can earn free stamps just for shopping with me! Click here to learn more about joining my Stampers With ART community. Get the MOST rewards including a discount on future products! Follow me on social media! I share regularly on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, my Facebook Page, and my Facebook Group! Please subscribe to my blog, too!Click here and enter your email in the blue box (above the butterfly).
STAMP-N-STORAGE HOLIDAY SALE! Stamp-n-Storage is having their big Holiday Sale! 15% off and more!! Click here for the details.
LAST CHANCE PRODUCTS (SALE PRICES BEGIN DEC. 1) It’s time to say goodbye to retiring products from the 2022 July-December Mini Catalog. Click here for more information and to access the list of products leaving and the list of products carrying over.
FITTING FLORETS! Oh such beautiful new products! These exclusive and early release products are now available! Click here to download an informative flyer. Click here to view a video showcasing this new Fitting Florets product. Click here and scroll down for more details on this promotion.
TIMELESS GREETINGS KIT ADDED This month, we celebrate the people in your life who mean the world to you with Timeless Greetings—an all-occasion card kit you can use year-round! This unique kit features an elegant pocket watch and globe design in neutral colors, along with heartfelt sentiments that are sure to inspire lasting memories. This new kit is part of the Kits Collection and is available starting November 15, 2022. Click here for more details.
A PEEK AT DECEMBER’S PAPER PUMPKIN KIT Create fun gift card holders to help you celebrate your special occasions all year long! Personalize with these reversible boxes and paper bands. This kit comes with enough supplies for you to make 16 different gift card holders—2 each of 8 reversible designs. It also has an all-occasion stamp set and enough paper pieces to allow for creativity for a unique design every time. Finished box size: 3-5/8″ x 2-1/2″ x 1/2″ (9.2 x 6.4 x 1.3 cm) Coordinating colors: Balmy Blue, Basic Gray, Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Garden Green, Tahitian Tide… Ink spot: Garden Green Plus, this month you can take your crafting even further with a special add-on available now until supplies last…Good Things Cards & Envelopes. You get 16 cards (4 each of 4 designs) and 16 coordinating envelopes. If you are not a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, I invite you to give it a try. CLICK HERE to learn more. CLICK HERE to sign up by December 10th for this next kit.
ALL STAR TUTORIALS I’m a designer with the All Stars, a group of globally recognized Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. And we are excited to share exclusively with our customers, paper crafting friends & team members our bundle of twelve November 2022 Sun Prints Suite Tutorials which are now available. CLICK HEREfor more information. Click here to get to my Tutorials for Sale page to see the others that have been offered. The next one featuring the Hues Of Happiness Suite will be available December 1st! AND all these tutorial bundles include links to instructional videos!
Here is what I sent to all my team members that attended/participated in Stampin’ Up!’s November 2022 OnStage event. Since I had several members to send to, it was best to make it a flat project and gift.
I included a note inside the card too that referenced pearls and hearts.
Products I used… See below for a complete list of products linked to where you can find them in my online store.
Measurements…
Texture Chic Memories & More Cards
Cut in half at 3-1/8″ (folded card measures 3-1/8″ x 4-1/4″)
2022-24 In Color Glimmer Paper
3/4″ x 3″
Orchid Oasis Cardstock
Scrap for punching scalloped heart
Basic White Cardstock
Scrap for stamping & punching smooth heart
Directions…
Punch the end of the glimmer strip. Add the card.
Stamp the sentiment. Punch it out. Layer this onto the scalloped heart, and add to the card.
Color a large and a small heart pearl with the Blends marker. Allow a few seconds to dry, then add them to the sentiment heart layer.
After preparing my supplies I realized too late that I didn’t have enough of the Memories & More cards. So I used the Texture Chic designer paper with Basic White Cardstock as the base to make a couple more.
I’m glad I was able to attend OnStage Live in Vienna (click here to read about my event experiences) – such a blessing that I earned this perk, but I did miss being with those in my team since all of them attended one of the Local events in the US. I’m looking forward to connecting with them soon to hear about their experiences.
The one thing we all had in common at our events was getting our hands on the new 2023 January-April Mini Catalog & Sale-a-Bration Brochure. Yep! New publications are coming soon. I’ll be able to order additional copies on December 1st. Once they arrive in my studio, I’ll send them off to those in my mailing list. (Click here to sign up for this mailing list.) That means the current 2022 July-December Mini Catalog will be winding down. So on that note…
LAST CHANCE PRODUCTS
The 2022 July-December Mini Catalog will be retiring soon! Stock up on your favorite retiring/last chance products* before they’re gone for good! AND…save up to 60% on some of them as well. (Sale prices begin December 1st.) *Retiring products will only be available until January 4th (or while supplies last), so be sure to get your orders in early!
CLICK HERE to shop my online store. (A Last Chance section will go live December 1st.)
(Download the PDF for a quick reference. Or use the Excel File to sort the list by product name, price, page number, or product category. These lists will not be updated. But you can always check the online store to see if what you want is still available.)
The items that are not leaving are in the Carryover List.
Feel free to apply a host code when ordering. If your order is $150 or more (before shipping/tax), do not apply a code. Instead, your order of this size will automatically qualify you for Stampin’ Rewards.
If your order is $50+, you will earn Loyalty Rewards points (10 in a year’s time = a free stamp set). Plus… $50+ order will earn you the current month’s set of All-Star Tutorials.
Click here to shop my online store. Click here to access & view the current catalogs. Click here to shop My Favorite Extras. Click here to subscribe to those fun Paper Pumpkin kits of creativity! Click here to learn about my Loyalty Rewards program. You can earn free stamps just for shopping with me! Click here to learn more about joining my Stampers With ART community. Get the MOST rewards including a discount on future products! Follow me on social media! I share regularly on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, my Facebook Page, and my Facebook Group! Please subscribe to my blog, too!Click here and enter your email in the blue box (above the butterfly).
LAST CHANCE PRODUCTS (SALE PRICES BEGIN DEC. 1) It’s time to say goodbye to retiring products from the 2022 July-December Mini Catalog. Click here for more information and to access the list of products leaving and the list of products carrying over.
SEASONAL SALE Create more by spending less during the Seasonal Sale! Between the 15th and 18th of November 2022, select products from the 2022–2023 Annual Catalog will be on sale. Click here for the informational flyer. Click here for the online store.
FITTING FLORETS! Oh such beautiful new products! These exclusive and early release products are now available! Click here to download an informative flyer. Click here to view a video showcasing this new Fitting Florets product. Click here and scroll down for more details on this promotion.
TIMELESS GREETINGS KIT ADDED This month, we celebrate the people in your life who mean the world to you with Timeless Greetings—an all-occasion card kit you can use year-round! This unique kit features an elegant pocket watch and globe design in neutral colors, along with heartfelt sentiments that are sure to inspire lasting memories. This new kit is part of the Kits Collection and is available starting November 15, 2022. Click here for more details.
A PEEK AT DECEMBER’S PAPER PUMPKIN KIT Create fun gift card holders to help you celebrate your special occasions all year long! Personalize with these reversible boxes and paper bands. This kit comes with enough supplies for you to make 16 different gift card holders—2 each of 8 reversible designs. It also has an all-occasion stamp set and enough paper pieces to allow for creativity for a unique design every time. Finished box size: 3-5/8″ x 2-1/2″ x 1/2″ (9.2 x 6.4 x 1.3 cm) Coordinating colors: Balmy Blue, Basic Gray, Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Garden Green, Tahitian Tide… Ink spot: Garden Green Plus, this month you can take your crafting even further with a special add-on available now until supplies last…Good Things Cards & Envelopes. You get 16 cards (4 each of 4 designs) and 16 coordinating envelopes. If you are not a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, I invite you to give it a try. CLICK HERE to learn more. CLICK HERE to sign up by December 10th for this next kit.
ALL STAR TUTORIALS I’m a designer with the All Stars, a group of globally recognized Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. And we are excited to share exclusively with our customers, paper crafting friends & team members our bundle of twelve November 2022 Sun Prints Suite Tutorials which are now available. CLICK HEREfor more information. Click here to get to my Tutorials for Sale page to see the others that have been offered. The next one featuring the Hues Of Happiness Suite will be available December 1st! AND all these tutorial bundles include links to instructional videos!
Stampin’ Up!’s big convention, OnStage just ended. The “live” location – a 3-day (Thursday-Saturday) event led by CEO Sara Douglass & her mom and co-founder Shelli Gardner – was in Vienna, Austria this year. And other “local” OnStage 1-day events were held around the globe on Saturday: In the US…Anaheim, CA, Arlington, TX, Jacksonville, FL, Indianapolis, IN, and Pittsburgh, PA. In Canada…Montreal, QC and Vancouver, BC. And in the South Pacific… Auckland, NZ, Perth, AU, and Sydney, AU.
A perk I earned for being a million dollar sales achiever was costs towards attending in Vienna. Of course, I couldn’t pass that up!! So my images are from this amazing 3-day event! I took an overnight flight on Tuesday, November 8 landing around noon on Wednesday, November 9. The OnStage happenings were continuous Thursday through Saturday and oh…SOOOooo much fun!
I extended my stay here and will be sharing more of Vienna later. But for today’s blog post I wanted to give you some highlights of this event, sneak peeks of new products (be sure to watch the short video below), photos of the fun with friends (old and new), and a huge thank you…
I am so thankful for you and appreciate all those who have supported me in my business in some way this past year (subscribers, customers, team members, demonstrators, friends, family, followers, etc.), because I found out on November 1st that I was a top performing demonstrator this past 2021-22 Stampin’ Up! year!
#10 in US sales
#9 in US leadership
#5 in US team building
And #6 overall in the US!
Because of my achievements I walked across the stage a few times during the event for recognition marches for the categories listed above and for earning the Norway incentive trip. It’s mind-blowing. And I feel so blessed.
I just had to do a group selfie with these wonderful ladies when we celebrated our 1.2 Million in Sales Milestone. Too fun, right?! Hahahaa!
Here are the bonus gifts I received from Stampin’ Up! for being one of the top achievers. (This photo also includes an umbrella, the gift leaders received at the CenterStage luncheon.)
Thursday (the first day) included check in (notice the four languages and that there were many more German speaking demonstrators… which makes sense, right?),…
CenterStage (a special luncheon event for leaders with fabulous gluten free food choices for me),..
and the kickoff of OnStage right after with an afternoon MainStage event and an evening one.
The entertainment, games (my tablemates playing the “mimic the emoji” game below), and demonstrations were fabulous.
And the overall theme this year seemed to be about FUN.
Of course it was so wonderful to be with old, dear friends once again.
Here are glimpses of some of the unique things in the gathering place: the Espresso To Go cart, a coloring wall, a puzzle wall,…
…a balloon wall, and displays of course!
There were lots of display boards that included new products. And the boards continued to fill up over the 3-day event with samples from the talented people who demonstrated for us on stage.
Play this video to see 2023 Jan-April Mini Catalog product and sample images from the November 2022 OnStage Vienna display boards.
We sat towards the back each day, but the large screens allowed us to see everything presented.
I was surprised that everything was presented in English since this was held in Vienna. But it made sense to keep it all in one language or there would have had to be MANY more interpreters. Those attending that that didn’t understand English wore headsets throughout the presentations to listen to their interpreters.
Here are more photos with more lovely friends (old & new).
These are gifts that I received from fellow demonstrators.
What was inside some of them are shown in this second photo.
And these are the items that I received for as gifts and prizes just for attending.
It was an incredible experience attending OnStage in Vienna. I’m so glad and very grateful that I was able to take part.
I missed my teammates who were back in the states for the OnStage Local events (I had team members at six other locations!), but I know they had fun too. And I’m looking forward to sharing and comparing photos, ideas, and experiences.
Click here to shop my online store. Click here to access & view the current catalogs. Click here to shop My Favorite Extras. Click here to subscribe to those fun Paper Pumpkin kits of creativity! Click here to learn about my Loyalty Rewards program. You can earn free stamps just for shopping with me! Click here to learn more about joining my Stampers With ART community. Get the MOST rewards including a discount on future products! Follow me on social media! I share regularly on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, my Facebook Page, and my Facebook Group! Please subscribe to my blog, too!Click here and enter your email in the blue box (above the butterfly).
SEASONAL SALE Create more by spending less during the Seasonal Sale! Between the 15th and 18th of November 2022, select products from the 2022–2023 Annual Catalog will be on sale. Click here for the informational flyer. Click here for the online store.
FITTING FLORETS! Oh such beautiful new products! These exclusive and early release products are now available! Click here to download an informative flyer. Click here to view a video showcasing this new Fitting Florets product. Click here and scroll down for more details on this promotion.
TIMELESS GREETINGS KIT ADDED This month, we celebrate the people in your life who mean the world to you with Timeless Greetings—an all-occasion card kit you can use year-round! This unique kit features an elegant pocket watch and globe design in neutral colors, along with heartfelt sentiments that are sure to inspire lasting memories. This new kit is part of the Kits Collection and is available starting November 15, 2022. Click here for more details.
A PEEK AT DECEMBER’S PAPER PUMPKIN KIT Create fun gift card holders to help you celebrate your special occasions all year long! Personalize with these reversible boxes and paper bands. This kit comes with enough supplies for you to make 16 different gift card holders—2 each of 8 reversible designs. It also has an all-occasion stamp set and enough paper pieces to allow for creativity for a unique design every time. Finished box size: 3-5/8″ x 2-1/2″ x 1/2″ (9.2 x 6.4 x 1.3 cm) Coordinating colors: Balmy Blue, Basic Gray, Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Garden Green, Tahitian Tide… Ink spot: Garden Green Plus, this month you can take your crafting even further with a special add-on available now until supplies last…Good Things Cards & Envelopes. You get 16 cards (4 each of 4 designs) and 16 coordinating envelopes. If you are not a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, I invite you to give it a try. CLICK HERE to learn more. CLICK HERE to sign up by December 10th for this next kit.
ALL STAR TUTORIALS I’m a designer with the All Stars, a group of globally recognized Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. And we are excited to share exclusively with our customers, paper crafting friends & team members our bundle of twelve November 2022 Sun Prints Suite Tutorials which are now available. CLICK HEREfor more information. Click here to get to my Tutorials for Sale page to see the others that have been offered. The next one featuring the Hues Of Happiness Suite will be available December 1st! AND all these tutorial bundles include links to instructional videos!
Our first day of the July 2022 Annual Garage Sale was AMAZING! First of all this is the biggest sale I’ve ever held. I’m not exaggerating! We have about the same number of crafters participating this year compared to past years, but several of this year’s crafters brought super large amounts of stuff. The boxes just kept on coming out of their vehicles. I honestly think we have twice as much stuff as we usually do. In fact after the first day, we still have more stuff than the first day of any other year.
Here is a photo I took before the sale began just of the table with the DVD case held stamp sets.
And here is a photo I took at the end of the day. About 3/4 of them are still here!
We still have another full day today. But if you want to shop, you need to stop by before 6 PM (Central Time for anyone who wants to cross time zones to get here – hahaha!). It’s only a 2-day sale this year. Click here for a link to the information in my newsletter. Click here to see the Craigslist posting (updated at the end of the day yesterday with photos of what is still available).
It’s been fun seeing familiar faces, meeting new people, and seeing those who come back year after year for the great deals. Here are photos I took yesterday morning. We had lots of visitors.
The weather was amazing! Hopefully it will be a nice day today too. But we do have tables that extend out of the garage under a tent. So everything is in the shade.
And just a bit of news about my youngest son, Luke who is now 15, learning to drive and going into 9th grade next year…
He got a job working for Dunkin’ Donuts!!
And his first day on the job was yesterday. So when I picked him up, we brought home donuts for the gals helping me run the sale.
A big thank you to Nancy, Cayla, JoAnn, Tricia, Amy, and Lisa (who had to leave early and wasn’t in this photo) for helping yesterday. And a big thank you to those helping today: Tricia, Dawn, Beth, Cayla, Lisa, and Joanne.
Click here to shop my online store. Click here to access & view the current catalogs. Click here to shop My Favorite Extras. Click here to subscribe to those fun Paper Pumpkin kits of creativity! Click here to learn about my Loyalty Rewards program. You can earn free stamps just for shopping with me! Click here to learn more about joining my Stampers With ART community. Get the MOST rewards including a discount on future products! Follow me on social media! I share regularly on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, my Facebook Page, and my Facebook Group! Please subscribe to my blog, too!Click here and enter your email in the blue box (above the butterfly).
THE NEW 2022 JULY-DEC MINI CATALOG IS HERE! Click here to request your copy. CLICK HERE to access the PDF of the new July-December 2022 Mini Catalog. CLICK HERE to access these new July-December 2022 Mini Catalog items in my online store.
HAPPY SALE-A-BRATION — JULY-AUG 2022! Every $50 (or $100) order earns a free SAB product pick. $300+ orders earn the exclusive Host set: the Perfect Pomegranates Stamp Set. And those that purchase the Starter Kit during these two months earn a bonus free gift: a beautiful planner, stamp set, and set of notebooks…the Making Plans Collection (a value of $45). Click here for details. CLICK HERE to access the online version of the 2022 Sale-A-Bration brochure. CLICK HERE to access these new 2022 Sale-A-Bration brochure items in my online store.
A PEEK AT AUGUST’S PAPER PUMPKIN KIT The August 2022 Sweet Sunflowers Paper Pumpkin Kit is an all-occasion card kit with elegant watercolor designs and the all-new twist technique to make your floral designs come alive with depth and detail! It includes supplies to make 9 cards: 3 each of 3 designs, TWO Classic Stampin’ Spots (Crushed Curry and Soft Suede) for a Two-Step stamping experience, and eight Gold Foil Honeycomb Sheets as a FREE gift that will add the perfect golden accent to any card or project. Coordinating kit colors:Blackberry Bliss, Crushed Curry, Evening Evergreen, Melon Mambo, Mossy Meadow, Night of Navy, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Suede If you are not a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, I invite you to give it a try. CLICK HERE to learn more. CLICK HERE to sign up by August 10th for this next kit.
ALL STAR TUTORIALS I’m a designer with the All Stars, a group of globally recognized Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. And we are excited to share exclusively with our customers, paper crafting friends & team members our bundle of twelve July 2022 Awash In Beauty Suite Tutorials which are now available. CLICK HEREfor more information. Click here to get to my Tutorials for Sale page to see the others that have been offered. The next one featuring the He’s the Man Suite will be available August 1st! AND all these tutorial bundles include links to instructional videos!
Last year around this time my family was in Maui. But this year the Stampin’ Up! 2022 in-person Incentive Trip was cancelled. The plan had been to be on a Royal Caribbean Southern Caribbean cruise in May. But a majority of the achievers when surveyed over a year ago didn’t feel comfortable being on a cruise ship quite yet. So Stampin’ Up! instead did a virtual event about a month ago, sent us a big box of gifts (that included a plush white robe, two beautiful mugs, a Capri Blue candle, an achievement pin, AND apple airpods!), and gave each achiever a “cash out” to use as we wanted.
My family decided to use this cash out for a summer family road trip out east. And we just returned from that 13-day vacation last night. What a fun time we all had!
Saturday, June 11 We drove from Andover MN to Chicago IL. Our first stop was at team member, Karen Meyer’s place. She and her husband Richard hosted and had a meal that included deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati’s and lots of other food and drink. Another team member, Leslie Francis and her husband JR came, too. It was fun to finally meet Karen and Leslie in person, and we had a great time together getting to know each other more!
This is the beautiful view from Karen and Richard’s place.
A couple hours later after checking into our hotel, we explored on foot and walked to Cloud Gate (the Bean) and to the Navy Pier. It was very scenic walking through the park areas and past the yachts and boats on the Lakefront Trail.
We road the Ferris Wheel and had lots to eat on our visit at the Pier.
Sunday, June 12 Karen picked us up in our van in the morning and we dropped her off at her place. We were able to say good-bye one more time. And they saved us some money (about $70!) on parking by keeping our van for us overnight. It’s pretty expensive to stay right in the heart of Chicago.
It was another long day of driving as traveled from Chicago to Bee Springs KY. We made it to our AirBnb in the early evening. It was a cute place called the Bee Hive and was decorated everywhere in a bee/honey/hive theme.
Monday, June 13 We visited Mammoth Caves National Park. I LOVED this part of the trip and was excited to see and learn about this amazing place. Mammoth Caves is the longest connected underground cave system in the world at 420 miles long (and growing)!
We lucked out with sunny weather and very few drops of rain our whole trip, but it was a hot couple weeks in most of the places we visited. And Sunday was the start of the hot muggy weather. Here I am with Nick waiting for one of our cave tours to begin. You can tell by my hair and face we are experiencing some heat.
The caves were incredible and much cooler inside! So that was an added blessing.
We loved staying at the Bee Hive in Kentucky even though Tim looked like a giant in certain areas of the house. Hahaha! And we were sad to leave.
Tuesday, June 14 But we needed to get back on the road. So on Tuesday we traveled from Bee Springs to Gatlinburg TN. On the way, we stopped for a buffet lunch at a chain restaurant common to the area, Shoney’s. Luke pointed out that we couldn’t seem to get away from the theme from the last AirBnb pointing out the word “honey” in this restaurant’s name.
We arrived at our second AirBnb in the early afternoon. This time our place was a small condo on the 4th floor. It was nice inside, but the parking lot was steep and it took us a lot of energy and patience to get all of our luggage upstairs. We unpacked, made and ate an early dinner, and then ventured out on foot to see the town. We encountered two black bears leaving the condo though. This one was far away, so we took photos and video from our 4th level. The other was crossing the parking lot when we were. We stayed back needless to say.
Gatlinburg was quite fun…lots of shops, attractions, and tourists. We took the Gatlinburg Skylift to the top, walked across a long hanging bridge with a clear floor in the middle, walked another path which included a structure called the Tulip Tower, spent some time in the gift shop, and then took the lift back down.
Wednesday, June 15 This day we started out super early and visited the Smoky Mountains National Park. We drove to many of the lookouts.
But our favorite was the one that include a 1/2 mile walk to Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in the Smoky Mountains. We were proud of ourselves that we NEVER stopped to rest on this all-uphill trek! This is a photo of our sweaty selves at the top.
We returned to our AirBnb in the early afternoon for a quick meal and rest. And then went back into town to see more sites, shop, and people watch. Tim sampled Moonshine, we tried lots of other treats, and we ate dinner at a place where the wait staff treat you unkindly on purpose (Dick’s Last Resort) – not my kind of place, but Luke was curious and wanted to experience it.
Thursday, June 16 We left Gatlinburg and traveled to Charlotte NC this day and stayed two nights at Mariah and Dan Williams’ home. Mariah and I have been friends since college. She has flown out to see me many times, so I owed her! LOL
We had a wonderful, fun, and relaxing stay – laughed, reminisced, ate good food, slept in, enjoyed the pool, shopped, watched The Accountant, played many games (UNO, jackbox games, and Sorry),…
…and ate out at Caba Fish Taco Baja Seagrill.
Saturday, June 18 It was painful to say goodbye, but we left Charlotte and traveled to our third and last AirBnb in Atlantic City NC. Here are a couple photos of the outside of this fabulous mobile home retreat. We stayed near the water (just a short walk to the pier), but we drove to the beach on the other side so we didn’t have to walk those blocks with our umbrellas, chairs, boogie boards (provided by the owners of the AirBnb), and cooler.
Here is Luke (before his sunburn) enjoying the Palm Trees.
And here we are enjoying the beach on that first full day (Sun., June 19). I DID get in the water, but I didn’t Boogie Board like the other three did. Yes, even my husband Tim caught a few waves as you can see.
Luke got sunburned even though he applied lotion twice! I felt so bad for him. So he took it easy that evening (and for the next couple days). Nick helped Tim grill some food for our dinner, we played a game of UNO (Mariah and Dan gave us their deck), and the boys played catch with the football in the shaded yard while we enjoyed the evening outside.
From the pier right next to our place, we caught the sunset AND the sunrise. We really did have a perfect place to stay.
Monday, June 20 After breakfast we drove to the coastal and historical town of Beaufort (just a short drive away) to shop and see the sites.
We spent most of the day there and even went on a boat tour of the Rachel Carson preserve and waterfront. We spotted wild horses grazing and learned about the area and the town.
We had and early dinner at a place called Finz Grill so we could eat near the water.
Then we shopped a bit more before heading back to our AirBnb. I was pleasantly surprised to see the same candles Stampin’ Up! gifted us trip achievers (Capri Blue brand) at one of the shops there. So I bought another smaller one and some hand soap to match for our new kitchen!
Tuesday, June 21 We left early in the morning to get on the road for one of our longest days of driving. In fact we made the drive even quicker by eating from our cooler when we could. Here we are pumping gas and gobbling up a quick lunch.
Our quick stops paid off so we could make it to Linda and Butch’s house in Gassaway WV by dinner time. Linda Lancaster is another team member that I had never met in person until now. It was so wonderful to finally hug her spend time with her. We also got to meet their good friends, Jeannette and Frank.
Linda and Butch spoiled us with huge meals for dinner and breakfast the next morning AND with a table full of gifts! (Jeannette helped make many of the items too!)
Wednesday, June 22 Their home was amazing. We loved how it was so secluded in the mountains and completely surrounded by trees. They were wonderful and generous hosts!
Here is a photo that Linda took of Luke and Nick right before we left.
And here is a photo I took of their neighbor as we drove away down their road. Hahaha!
Our drive this Wednesday took us even closer to home. We stopped at 4 PM at the Olive Garden in the Castle Creek area of Indianapolis so I could meet up and eat with three more team members: Jana Murray, Carol Slaven and Diane Callon. I was so happy to spend time with these gals and finally meet them in person. Tim, Nick and Luke sat on one side of the round table so us four ladies could chat better. 🙂
Our last night was in a hotel in LaFayette Indiana. The boys enjoyed the fitness room and pool. And it was nice to have yet one more comfortable place to sleep before heading home.
Thursday, June 23 We spent many more hours on the road. But we made it home by early evening. We loved up our kitty, Lucky, unpacked, opened mail, and started laundry before crashing in our beds.
This is probably the last road trip with just our family of four. Our last one was 5 years ago, and we can’t fit one in next summer before Nick’s senior year. So we are a little sad about that, but we feel blessed that we were able to make all these great memories together these past couple weeks.
Click here to shop my online store. Click here to access & view the current catalogs. Click here to shop My Favorite Extras. Click here to subscribe to those fun Paper Pumpkin kits of creativity! Click here to learn about my Loyalty Rewards program. You can earn free stamps just for shopping with me! Click here to learn more about joining my Stampers With ART community. Get the MOST rewards including a discount on future products! Follow me on social media! I share regularly on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, my Facebook Page, and my Facebook Group! Please subscribe to my blog, too!Click here and enter your email in the blue box (above the butterfly).
KITS COLLECTION BOGO SALE! Do you have kits from the Kits Collection on your wish list? Save this month with the Buy One, Get One 50% off sale that runs June 1-30, 2022. Click here for details. Click here to shop the Kits Collection.
LAST CHANCE PRODUCTS The 2022 Jan-June Mini Catalog will be retiring soon! Stock up on your favorite retiring/last chance products before they’re gone for good! AND…save up to 50% on some of them as well. Click here for more details. Click here to shop these products in my online store.
THE NEW 2022 JULY-DEC MINI CATALOG DEBUTS JULY 1ST! Click here to request your copy.
THE NEXT SALE-A-BRATION HAPPENS THIS JULY-AUG 2022! Every $50 order earns a free SAB product pick. And you can even earn level two product picks with a $100 order. $300+ orders earn the exclusive Host set: the Perfect Pomegranate Stamp Set. And those that purchase the Starter Kit during these two months earn a bonus free gift: a beautiful planner, stamp set, and set of notebooks…the Making Plans Collection (a value of $45). Stay tuned for all the details that will post on July 1st.
THE NEW 2022-23 ANNUAL CATALOG! Click here to view the online PDF of the catalog. Click here to shop the online store.
VIRTUAL TOUR Our Virtual Tour of the Catalog Crew has put together ten videos that highlight bundles and suites from the 2022-23 Annual Catalog. Join my Facebook Group to see all 10 videos (1 released each day for 10 days – June 1-10) or add one of my host codes to your June 2022 order to receive the PDF that contains links to all 10 videos. Click here for more details.
NEW BRANDED MERCHANDISE Stampin’ Up! has added some new branded merchandise sporting the SU Logo, images and colors. Click here to see and shop all the offerings.
A PEEK AT JULY’S PAPER PUMPKIN KIT
“Seas” the day and set sail across the ocean with the Sending Good Thoughts Paper Pumpkin Kit! With beautifully designed nautical imagery, a fun message in a bottle motif, and sentiments that are “shore” to please, this month’s kit is full of warmth and fun. Each kit contains enough supplies to create 9 cards (3 each of 3 designs) that will have your loved ones feeling sand-tastic! Take the Sea if You Know Paper Pumpkin quiz to learn more about Paper Pumpkin, this month’s kit, and to be entered to win a 1-month prepaid Paper Pumpkin code! Coordinating kit colors: Balmy Blue, Basic Gray, Bermuda Bay, Fresh Freesia, Pacific Point, Poppy Parade (Ink spot color: Bermuda Bay) If you are not a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, I invite you to give it a try. CLICK HERE to learn more. CLICK HERE to sign up by July 10th for this next kit.
ALL STAR TUTORIALS I’m a designer with the All Stars, a group of globally recognized Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. And we are excited to share exclusively with our customers, paper crafting friends & team members our bundle of twelve June 2022 Heart & Home Suite Tutorials which are now available. CLICK HEREfor more information. Click here to get to my Tutorials for Sale page to see the others that have been offered. The next one featuring the Awash With Beauty Suite will be available July 1st! AND all these tutorial bundles include links to instructional videos!
MY FAVORITE EXTRAS I’ve added a new section to my website titled My Favorite Extras. This is where you can find direct links to other products (from Amazon, Stamp-n-Storage, The Country Hive, etc.) that I love, use, and share about.
This Million Sales Retreat event was held March 9-13, 2022 for me and 16 other achieving demonstrators.
It was an amazing experience! We were spoiled in many ways…air travel (first class), a luxury hotel stay, pre-travel & pillow gifts, fun experiences, lots of wonderful meals together, lots of time at the home office, and many opportunities to visit together with each other and with those at Stampin’ Up!.
Below are photos from this amazing experience. I’m starting with photos from the event/retreat. Then at the bottom are photos from the days leading up to it…the sites Tim and I saw (since we flew out early).
Wed., March 9: We arrived at the Grand America Hotel in the early afternoon (this was our room!) and spent time visiting with Lisa, Bob, Alexandra, Sven, Irene, and Joe.
That evening all the achievers were treated to dinner at From Scratch. We sat with Jessica & Donnie.
Thurs., March 10: Achievers and guests were transported to the home office in Riverton. Here we were welcomed with beautiful floral bouquets (all personalized) and lots of cheering from those at Stampin’ Up!.
The decorations were amazing! Even the water bottles were done up in our honor.
We were given a tour, opportunities to meet & visit, and a beautiful lunch with desserts from local bakers.
Donna and Dave are two of my favorite people.
Here are more beautiful friends. Natalie took this selfie above. And here we are with Logan, Sandi and Bob.
Lots of special photos were taken in front of this backdrop. But my hubby and I had to get one of our own, too.
That evening (back in Salt Lake City) dinner was on our own. So we joined Erika, Ted, Angie, Dave, Lisa and Bob for dinner at Valter’s. And on the walk back to the hotel we stopped at a bar to have drinks. Cheers!
Fri., March 11: Achievers returned to the Riverton home office for more fun: product peeks, stamping time, and education & insight into other specific areas of interest. Here I am on the bus with Robyn. Sara photo bombed us. Too funny!
Four artists from the home office shared with Angie, Laura and I how they transform products from ideas into reality in the Product Strategy presentation. I’m next to Jen who helped me create my “million dollar” stamp set (debuting in about year!).
I then Robyn, Lisa, Dawn, Sandy and I enjoyed stamping time with Shelli & Sara. We were also allowed to look through the new 2022-23 Annual Catalog (coming soon)!
After lunch (with more amazing people but I forgot to snap a photo), Product Sneak Peek was next on my agenda. Jen and Kristy shared with Angie, Robyn and I LOTS of new goodies. I’m so excited for what’s around the corner!
My last session was a one-on-one with Andrew discussing my absolute favorite lines: Paper Pumpkin and the Kits Collection.
Guests had free time this day. So Tim joined the guys that we had dinner with the night before, and they spent the afternoon golfing.
The evening ended in a very creative and fun way…with a Mystery Murder dinner. The costumes that many wore were SOooooo amazing!
Look at these great costumes: Dawn and Richard (above)…Sara, Shannon, Brian and Natalie (below).
Sat., March 12: This was our excursion day. Some achievers visited the spa. Some enjoyed shopping in Salt Lake. And some enjoyed Snowshoeing in Park City. You can see what Tim and I picked. It was such a beautiful day, and I had a blast (I LOVE snowshoeing). The scenery was gorgeous, too!
Our group from left to right: Irene, Joe, Alexandra, Sven, Erika, Ted, Donnie, Jessica, Natalie, Susan Elise, Diane, and then me and Tim squatting in the front.
Afterwards we were taken back to Salt Lake to rest, get a bite to eat and clean up. Mid-afternoon we all gathered and were brought to Park City for shopping time…
…and a farewell dinner at the Riverhorse on Main restaurant.
Sun., March 13: This was our departure day. We had breakfast with Natalie, John, Alexandra, Sven, Irene, and Joe. This was the day we got our last gift. Look at all these boxes!! (Each of our gift tags and packaging for the gifts at the retreat coordinated with the cards we received initially when we reached our milestones.)
Here are pics of the other gifts given to us before and then during the retreat. (Our bouquets, bags and wallets were all different.)
Some of us achievers exchanged cards/gifts, too. Here are the fun goodies that were gifted to me.
Sat., March 5-9: As I mentioned before…Tim and I flew out early. We spent March 5-9 at a beautiful, spacious Airbnb in Washington, Utah. It even had a back yard with a grill, a fire pit and a hot tub. But the majority of our time was spent exploring nearby parks: Zion National Park March 6th…
…Snow Canyon State Park March 7th…
…and Bryce Canyon National Park March 8th.
What an amazing, unforgettable week! A big thank you to all of you who have purchased Stampin’ Up! products from me these past 22 years. YOU helped me to earn this, and I am so very grateful to you!
*The claims published here are not representative of the typical Stampin’ Up! demonstrator. The level of sales required to achieve this result is accomplished by less than .001 percent of Stampin’ Up! demonstrators.
Click here to shop my online store. Click here to access & view the current catalogs. Click here to shop My Favorite Extras. Click here to subscribe to those fun Paper Pumpkin kits of creativity! Click here to learn about my Loyalty Rewards program. You can earn free stamps just for shopping with me! Click here to learn more about joining my Stampers With ART community. Get the MOST rewards including a discount on future products! Follow me on social media! I share regularly on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, my Facebook Page, and my Facebook Group! Please subscribe to my blog, too!Click here and enter your email in the blue box (above the butterfly).
20% OFF SAVINGS IN MARCH During the month of March, you can snag the Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine at a 20% discount! This miniature machine is compatible with a large selection of Stampin’ Up! embossing folders and dies. Build your craft collection and combine the Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine with any (or all!) of the select stamp-and-die bundles that are also available for 20% off during the month of March! Click here for the informational flyer. Click here to shop these products online. Click here or below for an informative video about the “Mini Boss”.
ROBOT BUDDIES KIT ADDED The latest addition to the Kits Collection by Stampin’ Up! is a fun one! With the Robot Buddies Kit, configure cards featuring cute robots and robot themed images that kids will love. Combine your bandwidth to craft this kit together for some offline fun with these awesome, friendship-themed robots! Click here to shop the Kits Collection products online. Click here for more details.
WAVES OF THE OCEAN PROMOTION Discover the depths of the ocean—and your artistic abilities—with the Waves of the Ocean Collection! This coastal collection includes an inspiring set of stamps and detailed dies (early-release products from the upcoming 2022–2023 Annual Catalog), a pack of paper made from images of hand-poured paint, blue-hued foil sheets for a sea of shine, and radiant rhinestones for a splash of sparkle (each an exclusive product you can only purchase during the promotion period)! Click here for the informational flyer. Click here to shop these products online. Click here for more details.
ALL TOGETHER COLLECTION With hand designs that illustrate coming together in friendship and solidarity, the All Together Collection will help you create cardmaking and paper crafting projects that reflect the people you know and love. Click here for the informational flyer. Click here to shop these products online. Click here to learn more.
A PEEK AT APRIL’S PAPER PUMPKIN KIT Whether they’re climbing their career ladder or moving out for the first time—change can be simultaneously thrilling and scary—but isn’t that what makes life beautiful? Because new beginnings, after all, are simply new adventures. Let your loved ones know you’ll be there to support them through all of life’s chapters! The Change is Beautiful kit contains enough supplies to create 9 stunning cards with a unique folding technique. The designs are inspired by the natural cycles of change found in nature. Coordinating kit colors: Balmy Blue, Basic Black, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Evening Evergreen, Granny Apple Green, Melon Mambo If you are not a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, I invite you to give it a try. CLICK HERE to learn more. CLICK HERE to sign up by April 10th for this next kit.
ALL STAR TUTORIALS I’m a designer with the All Stars, a group of globally recognized Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. And we are excited to share exclusively with our customers, paper crafting friends & team members our bundle of twelve March 2022 Abstract Beauty Suite Tutorials which are now available! CLICK HEREfor more information. Click here to get to my Tutorials for Sale page to see the others that have been offered. The next one featuring the New Horizons Suite will be available April 1st! AND all these tutorial bundles include links to instructional videos!
KITS COLLECTION BY STAMPIN’ UP!® Creativity made easy! A line of affordably priced, versatile all-inclusive kits. Click here for a short promotional video. Click here for more details. Click here to shop.
Stamp Your Art Out!
Rachel Tessman
Independent Demonstrator 763-502-6813
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2024 Incentive Trip Achiever (My 19th trip earned will be Disney World in 2025!)
