Saturday, August 10, 2013

One for the weekend!

Hi!

I thought I would share a few more cards from the SBS with you and that way if you happened to pop in over the weekend, you'd have something fun to see!  There's never enough flowers!  So here's a few more with the super fabulous FLOWER SHOP BUNDLE and Pansy Punch!  Do you own these yet??

Rachael, 1st time attendee!  Silver Glitter and Vintage Button centers!

Kathya, so bright and cheery!  How can you not smile!

Elizabeth -- look familiar but a change of colors!

I love all of them!  This stamp set and coordinating punch can do no wrong!  They are a must have, get yours now by placing an online order HERE if you do not already have a demonstrator that you normally support. 

FLOWER SHOP BUNDLE:   Flower Shop stamp set & Pansy Punch,
(available in wood or clear mount, order as a bundle and save 15%)Flower Shop Wood Bundle
Thanks and have a great weekend!
Rhonda

Friday, August 9, 2013

Yay, it's Friday!!

Good Morning!

Well it's Friday, yeah for the weekend and normally that would make us all happy, right?  But not so much since this is the weekend we have to organize and pack up Nicole and then take her down to Tucson!  This year she is living in the sorority house (ADPi) so they have 1 day to get moved in and all decorated -- has to be cute and all!  We did do a bit of crafting and there's more to do!  I enjoy her being home but I know she loves school and it's a great time in her life, so I'm not really sad, sad but it was nice to have her around, crazy schedule and all!  Hugs Nicole if you're reading, love ya!!

Today's cards are a few more from the SBS meeting, and I just love Chalk Talk and the coordinating framelits, but did you know that the TAG IT stamp set on p45 and inside back cover was designed to coordinate with the same framelits too!  And this stamp set is special as it is our Ronald McDonald House Charities set, for EVERY SET SOLD Stampin' Up! donates $3 to RMHC!! Awesomeness!!

Marlene -- love the clay buttons and fun paper!
And it's always fun to see what card each other comes up with.  Whether it's an original design or you see something online that just strikes you!  One of the beauties of stamping is that there are SO MANY ideas shared!  Marjori and Dana's cards are so similar but yet different, one is Navy/Crumb and the other is Black/Crumb but how cute that they were so close in style, featuring SECRET GARDEN and its coordinating framelits!  This set from last year is still one of my very favorite flower sets!

Marjori -- finally a cute use for Navy Jean Twill ribbon!

 
Dana - soft and elegant with the Crumb Taffeta ribbon!

And if you want to receive the My Paper Pumpkin kit for August, you need to sign up before the 10th so skip over to my site and join now!  Use the promo code PUMPKINDEAL to receive special pricing of just $10 a month for your 1st two months!!  Promo Pricing ends Aug 31st.  Click here to see my prior post in detail!


Well that's all for today!  Happy Friday!! 

Thanks!
Rhonda

Thursday, August 8, 2013

End of Summer Fun!

Howdy!

Well last night was fun!   I took my girls to see Gavin DeGraw, The Script and Train in concert on a Weds night for a little bit of the end of summer fun!  It was only the 3rd day of school for Rachel and it's the last week that Nicole is home with us before we move her back to Tucson this weekend, Univ of Az.  So why not, and we had an extra ticket so Rachel got to bring a friend!  Next month we have tickets for Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry and Cassedy Pope (from The Voice)...  woot woot can't wait for that one!

Rhonda, Nicole, Rachel and Keely

Beautiful night at the outdoor amphitheater looking towards the sunset! 





And now I know you want to see some stamping, so here are a couple more cards from the SBS (shoe box swap). These are the Halloween ones and I just love them!  Thanks Sandy & Anne!  Sandy's card features the TAGS 4 YOU set and Bracket Punch and Halloween washi tape and new DSP (designer series paper). 


And Anne's card features the same TAGS 4 YOU and Bracket Punch and dsp, and the Chalk Talk framelit too!  Way to sneak so much stuff into your card Anne!

Hmm, which cards will tomorrow be?
thanks again, see you soon!
Rhonda

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Team Shoe Box Swap

Hi!

This month my team meeting was a Shoe Box Swap and we had a lot of fun!  The theme for this months swaps were "Bundles".  We have so many cute stamp sets that have coordinating framelit dies or custom punches, which can be ordered together as a Bundle and it saves you 15% versus ordering them as separate items.  I will be showcasing cards all week, so stop back by!

To start with, here are a couple of cards that were CASEd this month because Diana and I barely had time to get them made!  We were working all weekend on our Fall Fest Event and my team meeting was Monday so we were both pinched for time.

Here is my card that I did, it's a CASE from the talented Mary Fish, I just changed up the colors a bit.  Hope you like it!  It features the bundle SIX SIDED SAMPLER and the hexagon punch.  Colors are Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie and Coastal Cabana (which was a color combo from our Color Coach).


And this is Diana's card, which is a CASE of the card she received from Pam Morgan while in the hospital recovering from surgery in SLC.  It features the Elegant Butterfly punch which coordinates with the Papillon Potpourri stamp set (although not used, these are all from designers series paper & vellum).


Thanks for stopping by and come on back for more!
Rhonda

Monday, August 5, 2013

Flower Shop Bundle

Hi!
Well, I know it's been a couple of days but that's because I've been in a cave since Friday.  No, I didn't take a weekend getaway ... just been in the studio with Diana since she was finally feeling a bit better for us to get together and finish (well start and finish) our plans for our Fall Fest Event which is coming up later in the month.  Typically we meet early on and have things pretty much planned out and then give ourselves a chance to change our minds a bit depending on what we see at convention.  Well, this year between everything going on before (my family trip to Cal) and after (her recovery) convention ... we were a bit behind the 8-ball of where we like to be.

So anyhow, she came over on Friday late afternoon and stayed until like 5pm on Sunday but TA-DAH, it's all done!  Well, except for cranking out the math and numbers stuff ... thought maybe I'd have Diana do that this time and she was like, say what, me?  Nope, I'll make her do something else - so today is a crank out the numbers day and then I need to make a swap for my Team Shoe Box Swap meeting which is tonight!!  Don't you think she should have just stayed one more night?  I mean, really?  Usually I end up staying at her place, so it was nice to have her here, we both agreed it's been so many years since she's stayed over here.

While I cannot show you yet what Fall Fest looks like, I will share what I did a week ago at my Monthly Stampers Club Night.  These cards were CASE'd and two of them were from Beth and one from Linda.  I have actually uploaded their cards since I haven't take pictures of my own artwork yet, and hey I mean I really CASEd (Copy And Share Everything) their card ... I just loved them so I really didn't change a thing!




Thanks for stopping by and keep coming back!  Tonight is my Team Meeting so I will start sharing those swaps with you too!  And I still need to look (again) at my Conv swaps and might share a few of those too!  So I will keep trying to update daily with something new!

Happy 1st day of school to Miss Rachel, starting her JR year (11th grade already?) of high school today!  Can you believe she was a baby when I joined Stampin' Up!

Hugs!  Happy Monday!
Rhonda

Thursday, August 1, 2013

My Paper Pumpkin -- $10 special offer!


Hi!

Stampin' Up! is having a Super-Duper promotion deal on the Monthly Subscription of My Paper Pumpkin!  It's a new market offering that launched earlier this year (in March) where you can sign up and receive a surprise kit each month, delivered to your door for about  30-45 minutes worth of fun!  No cutting, no thinking, just open and create and you're done!  Monthly subscription normally is $19.95 per month including shipping and they are hosting a PUMPKINDEAL promo for your first two months for only $10 each!!!  The subscription is customizable, you can skip a month by entering a qty of '0' by the required date, you can order more than 1 by increasing the qty if you want to have extras or use as a gift, and you can opt out at any time!


Use my link if you'd like to sign up for a Creative Escape brought right to your front door!!
                                https://mypaperpumpkin.com?demoid=9906


My Paper Pumpkin Promotion


Offer Dates: July 18, 2013 -August 31, 2013
Offer Details: Use the promotion code PUMPKINDEAL to join Paper Pumpkin before August 31, 2013, and pay only $10 a month* for the first two months.  *plus tax, where applicable. Shipping included!

The Fine Print:

  • For new subscribers only.
  • Promotion applies only to the first two months of a new subscription. After receiving two month's worth, the price for each month's kit will go to the regular price: $19.95.
  • You must click "Add Promo Code" and then enter the promo code PUMPKINDEAL in the "Promo Code" field when you sign up on the mypaperpumpkin.com website to take advantage of this promotion.
  • You must join by Saturday, August 31, 2013; 11:50 PM (MT).
Thank You, please email me to let me know if you have subscribed!
Rhonda

Conv - "the Rest of The Story"

Hi!

Thurs night opening session was fun and the after party was great, a bit crowded and long lines, but the best part is coming back to your room and talking until 1 or 2 am ... that's when life long friendships are made.  I have such a great friend in Diana Gibbs and I would have never met her if not for Stampin' Up! and my direct recruit Lori, who got her taxes done at the office where Diana worked.  Thank God that Lori signed Diana up and brought us together!

I have been blessed to be an upline to her, she has expressed thanks to me many times for being a mentor and inspiring her.  I always wonder how since I do not earn the cruise or any top company awards, but I am glad that something I am doing is helping her.  I'm happy to say that seeing her achieve such success in her business is very gratifying.  She tries new things, she works hard and works daily, she supports her family, she is very consistent and very determined.

Probably my highlight for Friday was the Awards Night and seeing her recognized for so many things!  Personal Sales, Recruiting, Achievers Bonuses, and earning Founders Circle (Top 100 Demo's in USA).  And one day I just know that I will be in full on tears when they announce her for Advisory Board -- the highest honor to work with the company on future policies, products and plans.  Keep your eye on the goal Diana and you'll get there!  All in time baby, all in time!



The REST of the STORY --  I sat by her side all during the Awards Ceremony while she sat in pain that had kicked in just before dinner and seemed to be getting worse as the hours went by ... as soon as the awards ceremony was over we bolted back to the hotel, changed clothes, grabbed a few things and headed to the Salt Lake City Regional ER.  Thank Ed & Ellie for driving us and waiting and driving us back and feeding me dinner!  She was confirmed to have a kidney stone and we left and got her prescriptions at 2am at the closest 24 hr Walgreen's ... and back to the hotel ... think it was 3 am or so when I went to bed.  We missed the after party but hey, what'ya gonna do?

Saturday was the final day and it was a mix of general sessions and classes.  I was recognized for my 15 Years with the company and did my Anniversary March since it was in the morning and Di was still in bed going to sleep and rest.  She didn't want me to miss since this was my year to walk.  So I did find my sweet friends Marlene and Kim, so here we are ready for our walks!

Kim - 5 years, Marlene - 10 years, Rhonda - 15 years

Another fun part of convention is PRIZE PATROL and it's been awhile since I won at an event, so it was nice to be the lucky winner during morning session -- some buttons, a spool of new ribbon, and it's a snowman stamp set, how fitting!

On my way to grab our lunches, look who I ran into!  A table full of special INKin All Night! gals, so nice to see them together!  Veterans & First Timers!! It was very hard for me this year to spend enough time with the group as a whole so it was nice to know they were all having fun and together themselves at times!
I snagged this picture from one of my gals, it makes me happy even though I wasn't sitting with them!

Saturday was honestly a blur, so little sleep and feeling anxious on how Di was doing.  Do I go back to the room, or give her her privacy, call to check on her or will that wake her, let her rest but dang she's not answering my texts ... oh what to do??  So many people stopped me asking about Diana and how she was, sending wishes and hugs, it was so nice to see 'concern and care' in action.  She is so famous from her blog and presenting at many events, I now know what she feels like getting stopped every few feet!  I guess I didn't realize how many knew me, guess I am a sidekick after all these years!

We had break out classes in the afternoon and you attended whichever ones interested you the most.  I made it to a couple.  Then it was closing session and convention was over with a bang! Did I say Bang, yes I did!!


I ran back to the room and Di was not doing too well.  Not sure if it was the stone or the meds but she wasn't feeling well and we had a flight (or so we thought) the next day.  So this time we went to the hospital (a different one than the ER).  They gave her meds and an IV and then a bit later they said they were going to admit her overnight and do surgery to remove the stone.  It was the longest night of my life I think!  I think the night nurse said I might have slept 1.5 hours total.  I was awake every time she came in the room.


There was so much running through my head... calling her hubby and messaging with her sis in Canada, answering a gazillion texts from caring friends and downline and teammates was the easy part.  What about our flights which we already were checked in for, the hotel which wasn't packed up, do I stay, can I stay, where do I stay, how to get her home, what if there' complications, ...  and oh wait, I haven't eaten?  dang! 

Anyhow, BREATHE, call Jeff her hubby (strong, no tears), then call my hubby Dave (scared and tears!), then call airline, then call hotel, then start over with her hubby to tell him I'm staying and will be with her to get her home, then call mine back to relay confirmed plans.  oh, dinner?  yep, Lorna Doones and Fig Newtons from the night nurse!!

The next morning was surgery but the hardest part of the day was signing the paperwork to be her emergency medical consent person (whatever that term is officially called).  It just kind of hits your heart when you know you're in charge of your best friends decisions if something goes wrong... what me?  that's her hubby's job, how well do you know your best friend?  Well again, what'ya gonna do?  Thankfully I was able to sit in silence during her surgery and the only comments from the DR was ""it went great, she's in recovery!""

I start the cycle of calls to Jeff, then her Sis Jacquie, then my hubby, then the friends ... and by the time I was only part way through texting back friends they were already wheeling her back to her room.  I was like, wait I haven't eaten or got a nap yet?  Once she was settled, the day nurse came and grabbed me and said, honey come with me.  Took me down the hall and said, sleep!  I set my phone alarm for 3:30 and slept an hour and a half, because Pam Morgan (VP SU!, super cool gal) had called me earlier (say whaaat!) and wanted to come by at 4pm.  Can I just tell you that that 1.5 hours felt like about 10 hours of sleep!!


Pam, Rich and his wife Wendi stopped by to say hello and check on Diana, as they had a few SU! demonstrators that were unfortunately spending part of their 25th Anniversary Convention experience in the local SLC hospitals.  Not really the highlight you'd expect but it was so nice to see them reach out to her (us) to see if she (we) needed anything at all.  Luckily later than evening she was released and we headed back to the hotel.  We grabbed some food (btw nothing is open at 8pm downtown SLC on a Sunday night!) so room service it was!  Grabbed a shower and then a friend of Di's from Canada stopped by to say hello ... and we chatted in our jammies til who knows when!  Slept in and packed up, and headed home!!


NOW, you know the rest of the story ... an insiders view to Diana's hospital stay ...  oh did I say that her hubby greeted us at baggage claim with a Red Rose for her and a pink one for me!  And his HUG said it all!  And Jeff even thanked Dave (who I had come get me, even though Di wanted them to drive me home) for letting me stay with her.


Best part of Stampin' Up! ...?   Friendships - life long, true, do anything for ya kind of friends, glad to be one, glad to know I have some out there too.


Tomorrow we will resume with stamping and projects!!!
Thanks for listening!
Rhonda