Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Celebrating Your Day

Hi!

Thanks for stopping back by today as I share another one of my projects featuring the Birthday Memories Suite of products.


Now look how totally adorable she is when you see her from the front!  She reminds me of the Campbell soup little girl or something equally as cute!  She isn't scary at all!  

I used the Large Polka Dot (retiring, get it now!) TIEF, along with some Real Red 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon (retiring, love the way this ribbon ties) and the same Layering Oval framelits and Stitched Shaped framelits.  The little girl was die cut out of the DSP patterned paper.  The greeting was stamped with Archival Basic Black ink and cut out with the Project Life Cards & Labels framelits (also retiring- another must have!).

So there ya go, you've seen her from the front and the back, featuring similar products but completely different looks!  Come back tomorrow to see another project to complete my trio for this part of the stamp set and dsp.

Have a great day!
Rhonda

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Flowers For a Friend

Hi

Today I am going to start with one of the samples from my Displays, so this was not a part of the business idea that I presented.  We were asked to design and create 12-15 items for the display boards.  So I have LOTS to share with you over the coming days!
And remember, this product suite will be available to you as customers as soon as the NEW catalog goes live June 1st!!


It's funny that I am actually choosing to share this sample 1st with you, as this little girl 'scared' me originally for the whole time I was working with the products.  She is faceless and it's her back side ... and it honestly reminds me of when I was a little girl and had dolls ... and at night I would have to get up and go turn them to face away from me because I felt like they were staring at me!  But after the fact, I really liked this card so much that I duplicated it for the new pre-order card swap that I joined!

This card starts with Shimmery White cardstock for the base and the two stamped layers.  It was run through the embossing folder, Falling Petals from the Occasions catalog.  The scalloped oval shapes are from the Layering Ovals framelits.  The middle oval shape for the girl and the greeting are from the Stitched Shapes framelits (*must have!).  I used the new Watercolor Pencils and an Aqua Painter to color in the images, which were stamped with our Archival Basic Black ink.  The flowers were cut using the coordinating framelits to the stamp set.  To finish off the card, I added a small little bow with some new ribbon trim, this one is with the Rich Razzleberry color.

Thanks - drop me a comment, let me know if you like it!  Stop by tomorrow to see another sample featuring her from the dsp!

Rhonda




Monday, May 29, 2017

On Stage, Birthday Memories Suite

Hi!

Wishing you all a Happy Memorial Holiday weekend!  We are staying around the house and getting things ready for Nicole's move to NJ/NY next Sunday!  She's going to be working in the Hoboken ER as a medical scribe while she waits out the year long process of applying to both MD schools and PA programs.  It'll be an exciting year ahead for her!  Trying not to let it get me too sad yet, she's worked so hard to become a medical professional that I am focusing on just feeling proud at the moment!

I will start sharing with you the BIRTHDAY MEMORIES Product Suite that I presented in San Diego back in April at our SU! On Stage event.  My presentation was a 10 minute (actually 12 because I accidentally went over my time) business strategy presentation vs. say a live stamping presentation.  My focus was to introduce the new products that are coming and share how I would incorporate them into my business.  My personal goal was for my presentation to be something the demonstrator audience felt like they could go home and apply it to work for them in their business or hobby too.  And of course I also had to make several project samples which were separate from my business idea, just to show how versatile the product suite is!

So that's kind of a long prelude into what you'll be seeing over the next several posts.  No lying, I was not a fan when I opened my box to see what had been sent to work with.  Way outside my natural style and I felt it was quite busy.  But in the end, I found once I got going, I was drawn in to just keep making more and more!

I'm going to try to get better at posting more often, which means shorter posts instead of really long ones!  I've been told that's the secret!  Spread it out!  Ha, I know, I just wanna show it all at once!!!  So help me out by coming back often to see the next post since I'll probably do 1 sample each post to keep it quicker! I hope you enjoy and I'd love to see your comments too!!

To start with, here is the product suite!


This product suite has a bundle option available which includes the Stamp Set & Coordinating Framelits & the DSP as well, priced where basically the DSP is for FREE!  There is also the coordinated cardstock pack available as well as new honeycomb embellishments in the shape of balloons, and a new ribbon selection with four colors choices!  The pacific point is shown in the picture as it was the color choice available to demonstrators during our pre-order period.

Here is yours truly presenting on stage, of course all pics are basically me mid talking, so it is what it is, but it was a great opportunity and I'm happy my friend Kim snagged a few pic's to capture my moment for me!  


And here's a picture of the Stampin' Up! staff that worked together to present the San Diego On Stage Event.  It was a pleasure and privilege to work alongside them all!  Fun getting to work directly with people I've known for years and I had a blast meeting new staff from all different aspects and areas of the company!

Stop by tomorrow and I'll start sharing my personal creations with you!  Thanks for coming by!

Happy Memorial Day & thank you to all of those that have served our great country, to those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, and to those serving today and in the future - I thank you for your dedication to the USA!

hugs, love and peace
Rhonda



Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Excuse my absence...

Hi there,

A note to let my blog readers know where I've been and what I've been up to this past year or more... so that you can better understand my absence here and also on my biz FB page too, pretty much all social media platforms.  I've shared my story on my personal FB but I really wasn't ready to bring it to my blog until now.

As most of you know I took what was intended to be a part time job helping at a friends Family Care PCP office back in Dec of 2015.  That instantly became full time and overtime as well, which was new for me after being home for 14 years raising our two daughters and running my SU! business alongside my families needs.  It was a much needed personal change that I knew I needed.  I needed to be out and redefining my purpose now that we had become empty nesters.  I enjoyed the daily interaction with patients and learning something completely new with my business degree being applied in the healthcare field.  And I knew I was also helping a dear friend get restarted in private practice.  That alone speaks for the lack of my class schedule during 2015-2016.

But even bigger than that life change was being diagnosed with two cancers last summer and fall.  Yes two that were positive and a third that came back benign.  Colon cancer runs in my family with my Dad and my Grandpa, and now I am precancerous for it as well.  But it was treated, removed and there is a plan in place and with today's technology and discipline on my part, I know that it is treatable as my Dad has proven since 1998!

After a routine Mammo I was sent for a 3D Diagnostic Mammo and was then sent for a Needle Biopsy which returned with pathology reports of precancerous cells for both Ductal and Lobular Breast Cancer.  So the next step was an Excisional Biopsy to remove the 3 areas of calcifications in question.  The pathology returned with DCIS and an "incidental finding" of a tumor which didn't present on the mammo's that was positive for Invasive Lobular Cancer in October.  After much research and many appointments with different onocology specialist doctors and endless hours in prayer and thought to determine my path for fighting Breast Cancer, I chose bilateral mastectomy with the plan for delayed reconstruction surgery.
I have had surgery in Oct (lumpectomy), Nov (bilateral mastectomy), Dec (dealt with an open wound which probably should've been a surgery) and Jan (open wound repair and start of the reconstruction process), Feb & Mar (each due to complications, & eventual removal of right tissue expander) and May 3rd was to complete this phase of reconstruction on my left side and restart the process on my right side.
I am 3 weeks post surgery today and I feel way better than I have in 8 months.  I will still require an additional surgery to complete the reconstruction on the right side.  And then the additional processes that follow.  Even with my diagnosis I know that I am much luckier than so many women that wish they could've had my diagnosis (grade 1, stage 1, negative nodes) vs their own.  I am LUCKY and very BLESSED.

I feel stronger and finally feel a hint of normalcy again, even though I am still in post surgical care and restrictions!  I have remained a demo all of this time but I have been very, very limited with what I've been able to do both emotionally and physically (lots of restrictions).  Which has impacted my ability to host events, due mostly to the fact that I have been in a surgical and post surgery recovery mode for so many months.  Maybe God knew what was coming for me, because this year the facility that I use to host my large group Spring Fling and Fall Fest events was unavailable as their worship center was being rebuilt.  As they say, He is all knowing and God is great!

But in EXCITING news I was honored to be asked in September by Stampin' Up! to serve on their Global Events Council Team for 18 months --- this is a huge honor and privilege as only 5 demonstrators in the USA are selected, working with 2 from Canada to represent the North American region.  SU! has others on the team for the other areas of the world where SU! operates.  This was announced at our On Stage event (used to be called convention) in Nov 2016 and we began work immediately working with several SU staff employees in charge of planning and presenting our SU Corporate Events.  In April I was cleared to travel to San Diego (site I was assigned) and was able to work my 1st event as a member of the team!  I also presented on stage a 10 minute presentation showcasing a new product suite from the upcoming catalog and shared a business idea for how other demonstrators could incorporate this product suite into their business, along with many samples for inspiration.  I will be sharing those 12-15 samples here for you in the upcoming days!

In closing for today, thanks to the many of you that already knew what was going on and for your cards, gifts and prayers and for your future prayers as I continue to walk the steps of this journey and fight.  I want to thank in advance those that are just finding out that hopefully you can understand my absence and that it is/was just very difficult to deliver via my blog.  It's easy to share little happy personal tidbits for myself or my family here but I do not like to be the focus of too much attention and certainly not in this situation.  And my PSA is "get those routine exams", early detection is key!!!!

If you have been a customer that shops with me routinely, you should have received the NEW 2017-2018 Catalog in the mail or will be any day now.  I researched the past couple of years for those that have shopped with me and supported my business and as a thank you for that, I paid to have catalogs direct shipped to you.  Please let me know once you receive it (can email or text me to say it made it, that way I can follow up with SU! for any that do not arrive that were paid for).

If you do not receive one and would like one, please let me know.  I will be getting some in stock here at home soon any day now and the NEW catalog will become available to customers for ordering on June 1st I think it is!  My email is rhonda@inkinallnight.com if you do not already have it.

I also have a Monthly Stampers Club if you are interested in joining, both local and long distance and out of state are all welcome to join.  We order monthly and each member takes a turn getting to be the hostess.  You receive all of the catalogs and mini catalogs for the entire year as well!  I host a get together at my home and provide a few projects each month, mailed to those out of state.  Please let me know if you'd like more details and to join us!!

And lastly, we have until the end of May to take advantage of the RETIRING LIST of products, last shopping opportunity for the Spring/Occasions Catalog, and don't forget to check out the Clearance Rack.  All can be found easiest in the left column of my ONLINE STORE -- thanks for your support and time and friendship most of all!

I'm sorry that this got so long, but I wanted to add those business tidbits at the end so you were all aware of the Catalog and timelines for the upcoming transition!

Thank You!!!
Rhonda








Paper Pumpkin Special Offer! Save 25%!

Header_PP_Creativity_Demo_May2017


Have you ever tried paper crafting?  Would you enjoy the chance to try it at a 25% discount for a few months?  Our Stampin' Up! direct subscription Paper Pumpkin program ships direct to your door every month, and includes everything you need to complete the projects other than say scissors!
First-time customers get an introductory 25% off for June, July, and August when you sign up by June 10th!. You can visit MY WEBSITE and join as one of my subscribers, please let me know if you have any troubles with the link.  Make sure to enter the promo code of STARTHERE to get the 25% of your first THREE months!  This is a great way to see what it's like without any further commitment.  If you like (LOVE) it, then you can opt to continue on a month-to-month basis, or purchase one of 3 available prepaid options too!
Here are some of the benefits and what's included when you subscribe!  
  • The convenience of an all-inclusive kit arriving at your door every month.
  • Exclusive photopolymer stamp sets and the opportunity to build a collection.
  • Crafting time you can count on without a lot of prep work.
  • Trying new techniques.
  • Creating alternate projects with all the goodies in the box.
  • Getting together with friends to craft every month.
  • Purchasing past kits and refills so the fun never ends.
  • The quality of the products and a variety of projects each month.
  • Sharing ideas with a community of online crafters, Pinterest & Facebook!
  • The surprise factor!

Details:
  • For first-time subscribers only.
  • Subscribers must join by Saturday, June 10, 2017; 11:50 PM (MT).
  • Available for month-to-month subscriptions, not prepaid subscriptions.
  • Discount applied to one kit per month for the first three months of a new subscription. After that, the price for each month's kit will return to the regular price of $19.95 US/$26.95 CA.
  • Enter the promo code, STARTHERE, to subcribe at my Paper Pumpkin website  https://www.paperpumpkin.com/en-us/sign-up?demoid=9906

Thanks and I look forward to helping you with creativity, and I'd love to be your Stampin' Up! demonstrator.

Have a great day!
Rhonda