Shanna and Jared had their announcement  photos taken yesterday. With Jon behind the camera, there were lots of fun shots to choose from!  (He and Shalae and the kids are in town for the family photo shoot for the catalog on Saturday, so it was perfect timing!)

Sean, who designed the announcement  (to die for!) helped out during the shoot; they went out to the Great Salt Lake. And now they (Jon and Sean) are working to prepare the print pieces  to go to the printers first thing.

Of course, because of the short notice (Shanna and Jared are getting married on April 10, LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY. . . BUT WE’RE NOT STRESSED OR ANYTHING!), the announcements won’t be hand-stamped at all. (Does it count that they’re being printed on our Elegant Eggplant card stock?) We just didn’t have time.

The bridal shower invitations and favors WILL be hand-stamped though; I’ll post them when we finish them.

And I’ll post a finished announcement as well, when they are hot off the press next week.

  In the meantime, here are a few of the photos Shanna and Jared didn’t choose for the announcements.

It’s very exciting to see my youngest and last daughter prepare for this singularly important event in her life. I’m sure I’ll get sentimental at some point, but there’s no time for that right now. . . .we’ve got way too many things on our list to check off!

With luggage securely in hand, we headed to Toronto yesterday, and our last Canadian Workshop of a Lifetime for quite awhile. (We have one more to do in the Great White North, but it will be later because Tamye wasn’t available these past two weeks.)

This workshop was with Esther Moore, a sweetheart of a demonstrator. Anyone who is pregnant with her third child and her oldest is three deserves a medal! She is due in five or six weeks, and was darling with her two little boys. You can tell she’s a great mother!

And she’s a great demonstrator as well! She’s new (just signed up in October) and is gung ho. Believe it or not, she has a few more events scheduled between now and the birth of her baby! She got another booking last night at the workshop as well, although I’m not sure when she’ll schedule that one.

The workshop went well. Esther took seriously the challenge to have at least half of the guests be completely new to Stampin’ Up!, and so more than half of her guests she met last night for the first time. (We love when that happens, don’t we? That’s truly the magic of a workshop at work!) 

The guests seemed to like the projects; they liked it even more when I messed up. (smile) They laughed when I put the Happy Birthday card through the Big Shot without stamping it first, and they also found it amusing when I forgot to put the brad and grommet on before I started layering on the demonstration project. I asked them if they thought I was perfect, and they said “yes.” They know better now! I don’t think I’ve ever demonstrated anything anywhere without goofing up, but that just helps reassure people that anyone can do this; you certainly don’t have to be perfect! 

Esther’s guests also really liked the stenciling, which I was happy about (since it’s one of my favorite techniques). They didn’t realize how easy it was, and they loved the look it creates.

And I have to mention the custom-made Stampin’ Up! cupcakes—handmade by a friend. Esther gave her some DSP, and she went to town. Aren’t they beautiful? Almost too lovely to eat. . . . but not quite!

After the workshop, we rushed off to dinner with a small group of Esther’s demonstrator friends (upline, sideline, etc.). We were late (nobody seemed to want to leave the workshop, which is always a good sign!), but thoroughly enjoyed dinner and the conversation as well! (And thanks, ladies, for the tip about getting to the airport early! We would have never made our flight if you hadn’t warned us that it was one of the busiest travel days of the year in Canada and to get there at least three hours early.)

I’ve said it before, and I’m certain I’ll say it about every one—this Workshop of a Lifetime was fabulous! Heading out, Sara and I were a little nervous. They hadn't found our luggage yet, so we were still wearing our travel clothes and hats to cover our hair, with a lot of prep work (which we had planned to do in the hotel, but couldn’t because our cutters and scissors were in our suitcases) still to do.

After we drove for about an hour, we entered L’Orignal and immediately felt reassured. The town is charming. And Kim’s gorgeous house, which sits on the river’s edge, was even more welcoming.

And then we met Kim, who was incredibly gracious and unselfish, the perfect hostess. She’d heard about the luggage mishap, had all the supplies we needed ready and waiting, and immediately put us at ease.

Although her guests arrived before we were completely ready, they were equally gracious as they waited patiently, and we all chatted and laughed about the challenges we’d encountered in our travels.

The actual workshop itself went off without a hitch (how could it not in such an incredible stamping room!), and the guests enjoyed making the Make & Takes. I think Kim got three bookings; I’m not sure about sales because Kim didn’t close it last night. And Sara and I could have listened to everyone talk in French (all the guests were bilingual and slipped back and forth between both languages) all night long—it’s a beautiful language!

Between the workshop and her demonstrator event, we ate dinner. Kim’s husband came home early from work (the first time he’s done that, she said) and served us a delicious dinner! Her darling girls were there as well—a simply adorable family!

More than 140 demonstrators attended Kim’s demonstrator event; we kept busy with picture taking and chatting, and it was also a wonderful experience. Kim had displays, four Make & Takes, and plenty of action. I think she signed up three recruits too! You can tell that Kim takes this business seriously, is very detail-oriented, and loves both her customers and fellow demonstrators. And they love her back!

We were sad to leave Kim and L’Orignal behind us when the evening was over. But when we arrived at the hotel and found our lost luggage sitting in our hotel room, we brightened right up! Sara did the happy dance (I wish I’d had the camera!), and we had a shower and put on CLEAN clothes for the first time in two days!  Woo hoo!

Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that Sara and I left this morning to head off for our third week of Workshops of a Lifetime. Our flight leaving Salt Lake City was delayed by two hours, meaning we missed one connection, meaning we missed another connection. We eventually got re-routed to our final destination from Chicago, arriving way later than originally planned. (And since I didn’t get any sleep last night, I was kind of counting on getting to bed early tonight! Hate when that happens. . . )

And to add insult to injury, our luggage (complete with clothes, make-up, and some of the workshop supplies) flew off into the sunset to who knows where. We had hoped that it might arrive here before we did, but unfortunately, we were disappointed. I laughed as we left the baggage area after filling out all the forms, because Sara kept looking back longingly at the carousel, hoping against hope that somehow the missing bags might miraculously appear. Didn’t happen. . .

So tonight, besides being exhausted, we’re trying to come up with a Plan B for our workshop. I think we’ll be OK—we have the actual project and Make & Takes with us (we had them in our carry-ons) and we’re hoping our sweet hostess has many of the basic supplies that we will need to replace the ones that are flying (or sitting) somewhere in the vast airline universe.

I think we’ll go to bed now. We’re finally here, we know what we’ve got and what we don’t have, and the day will be much brighter tomorrow, right? I know the workshop will be fabulous regardless—I mean, I’ve never been with a group of stampers and not had a great time. As a friend of mine likes to say, “It will be alright in the end, so if it’s not alright, it’s not the end!” I’m certain that tomorrow night, everything will be alright!

P.S. I haven’t forgotten to choose the Creative Challenge winners—I had planned to finalize that tonight, but I think I’ll go to bed instead. Watch for those winners to be announced soon. . . .

Yes, I’m thrilled to announce (although it’s not news to some of you, Shanna’s been talking about it for days!) that Shanna is engaged. 

Her fiancé is Jared Bridegan, the brother of one of her best friend’s husband. They met back in October, right after she came home from her mission. Her friend’s husband actually e-mailed Shanna on her mission and told her about his brother, but Shanna wasn’t interested—too busy doing missionary work.

Then when she came home, she was kind of dating another guy. Jared flew out (he lives in Florida) for one day and they went to lunch, but Shanna wasn’t interested. Jared stayed in touch though, texting and calling, and Shanna started to pay more attention. Eventually, she flew out to Florida, and that face-to-face visit went much better than the previous one!

Jared flew out this weekend to make it official, and he happened to be here for Sterling’s big 60^th birthday, a milestone that Sterling hasn’t been thrilled with. We had the kids over for dinner on Sunday, and he got a shirt to help him remember the day. Other than that, we pretty much let him ignore it.

So now you know all the details leading up to today’s shopping trip.

So all the girls but Shalae met at the first store this morning as it opened. We went to one store in Utah County, then grabbed an early lunch (we met Sterling and Jared—Sterling was taking Jared to the airport to catch a flight back home so he can wrap up things before he moves out here) before visiting two more stores. We texted photos of the dresses to Shalae, and she’d call us to share her thoughts, so while it wasn’t quite as good as her being there, she was at least a part of it.

We found dresses we liked in each of the shops, but it was at the last shop that we found THE ONE. We knew the minute she put it on that this dress was meant for Shanna. I won’t post a picture of that dress quite yet—there are a few alterations and additions that need to be made, but I’ll definitely post photos after the wedding. 

So that’s today’s big news! We’re looking forward to spending more time with Jared once he moves out here in the next week or so, and in the meantime we’re thrilled with the way he treats Shanna and that they are so much in love! She cried when they said good-bye today, and I rolled my eyes a little. They’ll be apart for a whole SIX DAYS! But then I remembered leaving Sterling and sobbing the entire two-hour flight back to school, so I do understand. It is kind of cute. . .

I’m staying up late tonight to finish preparing for this week’s two Workshops of a Lifetime. I’ll be catching a flight early tomorrow for that. So now I have to stop thinking about wedding dresses and turn my attention to stamping projects.  . . .

With no bad weather to compete with, the house was completely full for the regional, and everyone seemed to enjoy the day as much as I did! One demonstrator left earlier than anticipated—she greeted me early in the day, during check in. She was glowing and pregnant, but she certainly didn’t look as far along as she actually was. She told me that she was due in 12 days and had decided to “take the chance” and come to regional.

Unfortunately (but you really can’t say that, can you?), she was in labor and was heading back to Edmonton (a three-hour drive) to deliver. We took a quick picture together, and she headed out the door. We included her in the prayer when we blessed the food, and although I didn’t hear any updates, I can only hope that she made it home before any blessed events took place!

What an exciting way to start the day! Although none of the events the rest of the day were quite as significant as the birth of a child, I certainly felt like the day offered plenty of valuable information and training.

The regional was all about workshops, including most of the projects, and everyone seemed to love that—I know I did! The project I demonstrated, however, was definitely not make & take-able, but it’s been a tradition for me to show something I’m working on, and I am currently working on Easter ornaments to add to each of my girls’ holiday home décor.  (Of course, I’ll be making myself a set too!)

I’m showing the Pretty in Pink one, but I’m planning on making a set of four different colors—Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Barely Banana, and Certainly Celery. I’m not sure when I’ll finish the 24 ornaments with all that’s going on these days, but that’s an entirely different topic that deserves a blog entry of its own!

Check back tomorrow night for exciting news!

The people we met today at Ida’s group meeting and workshop were some of the nicest, most genuine, fun people ever! Ida is a twenty-something demonstrator, very new (signed up in December), and the majority of her workshop guests were about her same age, as well.

Her workshop was a family affair; it was great to see her family so supportive. Her father videotaped the workshop (we’ve told the demonstrators they can videotape, but they can only use the video in training for their own group), her brother took pictures, and her mother bustled in and out all night with treats.

Most of Ida’s guests knew how to stamp; they had grown up crafting and many are scrapbookers. They were so quick! Sara barely had to show them how to do the Make & Takes—they were all over it! They listened intently, and I’ve never seen such long wish lists! In fact, one guest picked up the Idea Book & Catalog and said, “This is my wish list!”

They liked the projects—we’re doing different projects at each workshop, which makes it a little challenging, but since I knew I’d be showing the samples after each workshop, I wanted each workshop to feature slightly different projects.

I think Ida’s sales were pretty good—when we left there were still a couple of guests filling out their order forms. She only got one booking, but she had two people sign up as new recruits today, so that’s very exciting!

Both Ida and one of her downline are working toward Rising Star, and I think they can do it! She’s excited and energetic, and working hard to sell, recruit, and support her growing downline. After meeting her today, I think she’s well on her way to building a thriving Stampin’ Up! business!

Workshop #2 was wonderful! Dinnae was amazing; she is a ball of fire! Her enthusiasm is contagious, and you can tell that she lives the Statement of the Heart—she loves what she does!

She had scheduled a group gathering in the afternoon, with about 10 people attending, counting Sara and me. Agenda items included training on downline support, recruiting, and workshops, but we ended up talking about a lot more than that! We had a fabulous discussion, and the time flew by. We could have chatted even longer, but we had to get ready for the workshop, which was was just as fun.  

Dinnae had posted flyers all around Williams Lake before the workshop, inviting new customers to come; she also had a few existing customers come (they had to bring a friend though!). We ended the workshop with three new bookings (woo hoo!). I’m not sure about sales (she hasn’t closed her workshop yet), but I think the evening was a great success! 

Dinnae was a perfect hostess and demonstrator, taking care of everybody and making sure they had everything they needed. And the guests were delightful to talk to and get to know. 

At least a third of them had never stamped before, so it was very fun to see them discover our favorite hobby! They seemed to like the projects (but would they say if they didn’t?), and Sara and I loved sharing with them.

Plus, Dinnae had this to-die-for dessert that I'd never tasted, lots of chocolate and cream. I could have slivered my life away (I kept taking "just a sliver" again and again!) I can't remember what it was called, but she said she'd send me the recipe and I'll post it for everyone.

This morning we’re headed to Workshop #3—I’ll post more about that tomorrow, I’m sure! 

I appeared for a short segment on KSL’s Studio 5 this morning. Usually when I’m on, I’m demonstrating a project or teaching a technique or doing something related to stamping, but this time they asked me to be part of a panel discussion on problem solving.
 
There were three of us, and we each shared the approach we usually take when confronted with a problem or challenge. I mentioned that I like to talk to as many people as possible and gather lots of information, and I used the designing and building of the home office as an example. We talked to hundreds of employees and asked them what was most important to them and what they would love in the new building. Then I worked closely with professional architects and builders. It was a wonderful experience that resulted in our own Riverton home office—a gorgeous facility, if I do say so myself!

If you want to check it out, click here. 
 
As always, I thought of lots of things I would do or say differently afterwards—someday I want to give a perfect performance. I enjoyed it, though, and had lots of fun.
 
Tonight I’m putting the finishing touches on this week’s round of Workshops of a Lifetime. Sara and I head off tomorrow morning--I’m excited all over again! I’ll keep you posted . . .

For example—

• The video of little Sarah with Down Syndrome stamping cards for her friend
• Rose saying that Sterling would have to be special to be married to me (Hmmm…I wonder how she meant that? LOL!)
• Wendy sharing about her dad and the last Father’s Day card she made for him
• Shannon’s comment about whether to bling or not to bling being a trick question (the minute I read it, I didn’t have to see her last name to know it was “my” Shannon who works in demonstrator training!

I read comments from kids I taught in church years ago who now have families of their own, extended family members I haven’t seen in years, people I’ve never met but feel like I know personally—all people who share things in common with me.

Although I don’t answer every question or respond to every comment, I love reading my blog—thank you for your comments, support, and enthusiasm. And for those of you who shared new product suggestions, Memento Mall ideas, or ideas to improve the business, know that I’ve forwarded those to the appropriate people for consideration.

Also, a couple of you posted comments about questions or problems you’re having as a demonstrator; you wondered how to make sure I’m aware of the situation. I do read these comments on the blog, but sometimes it’s days or even weeks before I read them. I’ve talked to our demonstrator support agents, and we’ve decided that it will work best—and be much faster usually—to communicate through our demonstrator support department.

Make sure you put “To Shelli” in the subject field. You’ll receive a response from a demonstrator support agent, who will also forward the comment to me. Most of the time I won’t respond personally, but I will read every one, I promise.

Where did you find the mannequin that is in the picture showing Vonna’s necklace?

I found it in an antique store, of course! (I love antiquing. . . .) While they’re not all over the place, they’re not too hard to find, if you’re on the lookout for them. I’d seen several wire ones, but when I saw this one, I knew it was the one. I love it . . . thanks for loving it too!

How was the heart window done on the Loving Valentine’s projects?

I used window sheets. I folded the bottom flap of the box up, and then punched the heart through that. I used a leftover scrap of card stock to cover the bottom of the box, so the candy wouldn’t fall out.

How are your dad’s hands doing?

They are great! When I picked him up at the airport to go to the funeral, I asked him if he felt like he could drive, and he did. He ended up driving all day, while I sat in the passenger seat, working a little and chatting a lot.

There’s still some stiffness, of course, but his recovery has been great! In fact, he mentioned that he was thinking about climbing back into a race car again. He promised me he was done after this last accident, so I have mixed feelings. It’s a dangerous hobby, but I’m certainly thrilled that he is feeling good enough to think about it. I’m not going to worry too much about it yet. . . .

Can I send a thank-you card to the employees in Kanab who sewed the quilt blocks for leadership attendees?

Several of you have already sent cards to us at the Riverton facility; we’ve forwarded those to Kanab. If you would still like to send a card, you can send it to us at the home office or straight to Kanab at: Stampin’ Up!, 1400 South 100 West, Kanab  UT  84741.

Can you share a list of some of the movies you and Sterling watch in your rare free time?

We do enjoy watching movies when we have time. Sterling and I are both chick-flick fans; we like romance and comedy, not so much action and adventure. We don’t watch movies that are rated R, and we are fans of independent movies.

I like watching movies because I can watch the screen and still stamp or cut or assemble, so I’m multitasking. Of course, once in a while, I just sit and cuddle with Sterling too. . . .

Here are some of the movies we’ve watched recently and liked, or movies we’ve watched more than once:

Though None Go with Me
Definitely, Maybe
Behind the Mask
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (a Christmas movie—cute!)
Maid in Manhattan
Serendipity
Just Like Heaven
First Knight
The Ultimate Gift (a must for every home!)

Can you post the Vintage scrapbook page you showed at leadership?

I showed two pages, but I think the one you’re referring to I lent to one of our demonstrator training presenters to use at regionals this spring, so I don’t have it anymore. So sorry. . .

Do you always use the air art tool when you splatter on your projects?

Actually, I usually use a paintbrush. I ink up the brush with watered down ink, then tap it against my finger. I like the look that creates. It can get a little bit messy, so when I splatter I always wear an apron and make sure that there’s nothing in the work area that will be ruined if it gets ink spots on it.

I have a Mover and Shaper that I bought before Stampin’ Up! offered them, but mine doesn’t have the magnet. I’d like to buy the magnet separately. . .

We don’t offer the magnets separately because we don’t buy them separately either! They come with the Mover and Shaper, so we don’t have the ability to offer them alone.

Which is your preference these days? Wood mount or clear mount stamps? 

I’m kind of a wood purist. There’s something about holding a block of wood in my hand that just feels better to me. Plus, I’m always worried that I’m going to accidentally throw away smaller stamps that aren’t mounted on wood because they get lost in a pile of scraps. (I’m just not as organized when I get in the creative mode. . . ) However, I know that many of our demonstrators and customers are loving the clear mount; there are certainly advantages to both.

At the first Workshop of a Lifetime that I had earlier this week, this topic came up. The demonstrators mentioned—almost unanimously—that they liked having the choice. And they also loved that we were still offering the rubber images.

One customer commented that she had used many, many clear stamps over the years, and hadn’t yet found anything that came close to the quality of the rubber. That’s been my experience as well, especially when I stamp off. I’ve not found a clear (photopolymer) stamp that doesn’t stick to the paper when I’m stamping repeated images. Rubber seems to consistently produce a crisper, clean image.

I’m glad that as a company we are offering the choice. Over time, if demonstrators and customers choose one over another by a significant margin, we may reconsider our decision—but for now I’m certainly glad we can choose what we want.

Are items sold at the Memento Mall going to be offered to other demonstrators as supply items?

Sometimes. How’s that for a definitive answer? (smile)

Our goal, of course, is to have just the right number of Memento Mall items that everyone at the event can purchase what they want, and we have none left over. But that doesn’t happen very often. When there are extra items, offering them as supply items is an option we look at.

Do most of your girls live close enough that they can visit often?

I wish! Actually, I shouldn’t complain—I am lucky enough to have most of the girls at least close enough that we can see them frequently (although not nearly as often as I’d like!). Shanna and Sara (and her family) live very close, within a few miles. Sage and Jason live less than thirty minutes away. Megan and Nate live about two hours away, and Shalae and Jon live across the country. Way too far, but I’m grateful I can see them as often as I do.

Where do you all stay when you gather in Kanab for Grandma Pat’s Christmas party?

The actual party is held at our Stampin’ Up! facility, but people sleep with family members who still live in town or the surrounding area, or sometimes they’ll stay in hotel rooms.

Any chance we can get directions for Shalae’s Christmas card?

I asked her and she will send them to me. I’ll post them when I receive them.

I admire your fashion sense; do you have a favourite store you like to shop at?

I love smaller boutique stores. I can find all kinds of unique clothing, and sometimes great bargains, in these shops. I do shop at larger retail stores and chain stores, but when possible I like to support smaller businesswomen, of course!

Why don’t you carry the same products in all the markets?

Wouldn’t that be wonderful if we could? There are actually all sorts of factors we have to consider when we’re deciding which products will be available in which market, including things like the cost of the product, the cost of getting it into the market, and government regulations. These are only a few of the things we look at.

We are always working to offer the best, most-requested products to all our demonstrators and customers.

Did you get to meet Robert De Niro when you were on the TODAY Show?

Nope. We decided that there must be a famous and a nonfamous green room—and we were in the nonfamous one! Bummer.

I loved the little “wine” glasses you used for the grandchildren during your Thanksgiving meal. Where did you get those?

I just picked up one or two at a time at antique stores. They don’t match, of course; they are all different styles and sizes.

I can’t keep all of your girls and their husbands and children straight. Can you post a family tree?

Well, not exactly a family tree (not sure how to do that), but here’s a list of the girls, their husbands, and their children. And you can see a family photo in our current Idea Book & Catalog.

Megan: Married to Nate, children are Tanner, Cameron, Zach, and Olivia

Sara: Married to Sean, children are Sidney, Seth, Sam, Shelby, and Stella

Shalae: Married to Jon, children are Ashton, Cooper, and Phoebe

Sage: Married to Jason, Kona is their son

Shanna: Just came back from a mission in Spain, and is dating someone quite seriously—that’s all I can say about that right now!

What is Jon’s recipe for chocolate malts?

He doesn’t follow a specific recipe. He uses Breyer’s Natural Vanilla ice cream and adds a little milk, Nesquick chocolate, and malt flavoring (which Shalae says they only carry in one grocery store in Savannah—it took them a week to find it!). He doesn’t follow any specific measurement, just eyeballs it and tastes it. Whatever he does, it works every time!