Inspire. Create. Share.

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Stampin'Up! national convention for the first time. What an experience! Imagine spending three days with amazing, creative people, all focused on making pretty things and supporting each other to excel at their craft and business. 

Although there was a pre-party Wednesday night, Mother Nature and the airlines worked hard to make sure I did not arrive until Thursday. But I am an intrepid traveler and was going to get to Salt Lake no matter what. When I touched down, I raced to drop off my bag, meet my roommates (who started as complete strangers, but are now friends) and tried to catch up on some of the excitement. My first activity was a tour of the home office. 

Wow! What a wonderful place, and I imagine lots of creative people have a really good time coming up with our wonderful products and ways for us to grow and sustain our business. The innovation room and warehouse were pretty impressive, I especially loved the floor to ceiling white board for sketching out ideas and plans, and the giant bean bags. I can't tell you how many times I want to curl up on a nice comfy seat with my laptop and just dig into a focused writing or analytical task during the work day. I know I would be more productive that way.

But the real fun came when we walked through the staff office area and were able to see the everyday creativity that goes on. Of course they had some lovely samples on display for us to view as we walked through, but I especially appreciated the little cards, notes, and banners that were pinned in special places in individual work spaces. This really showed me that they value each other and our craft enough to make and give handmade cards in real life, not just on the pages of a catalog. 

That was pretty much the extent of my first day. But more fun to come over the next three days. The educational sessions were exactly what I needed to gain the confidence using new products and sharing innovative techniques with my stamping friends. There were so many great ideas and hundreds of samples, I can't even begin to share all of the photos I took. But here are a couple of my favorites.

Swapping samples with fellow demonstrators is serious business at the convention. I wasn't savvy enough to join in this year (next time for sure) but I did get to see many of the wonderful creations my roommates made and collected. 

And there were several make and takes and a product playground where we could try out some of the new items and techniques.  We got an exclusive sneak peek at the holiday catalog...so many fun things I can't wait to try out. I'm looking forward to crafting my Christmas cards and tags this year. 

Oh, and always fun -- prizes and giveaways! I had so many goodies, I seriously don't know how I managed to get my clothes home. Below is a photo of my suitcase. That little square at the top was all the room I had left to cram three changes of clothes, but I did it!

Now I'm back home and putting all the great ideas into practice. I came away inspired to create and share everything I've learned. The convention lived up to its name 100%!