Day 1 Founder's Circle - And So It Begins.....

Ok my dear friends....

Close up of Swap card

Arrived Wednesday in St. George, Utah for 5 days of unadulterated pampering and being spoiled.  Stampin' Up! definitely does it right when they lavish love and attention on us!

The theme for the Founder's Circle Retreat this year is called "Home For the Holidays" and since I am a Christmas junkie, I was excited like you wouldn't believe!  My swap card (the one I hinted at in my last post) was created with this theme in mind.  The close-up I showed you reminds me of wonderfully gingerbread-y type cookies.  It is, of course, merely cardstock that has been sponged, then coated with Irridescent Ice embossing powder.  As you can see from the next shot, it really is just cardstock.

More of my Founders Swap Card

At any rate - after a long day of travel we arrived at the hotel.  This hotel is completely taken over by us for the next 5 days and is transformed into a holiday lodge for our Retreat.

Right from the time we arrived, we were brought into the Holiday atmosphere (despite the 35 degree weather) with all the beautiful decor and attention to detail.

Each of our room dorrs were decorated with a lovely vintage wall-hanging that has the 12 Days of Christmas depicted on it.

And after *everyone* had arrived.....we built gingerbread houses together as an Ice-Breaker mixer event.  We were each presented with a "Participation prize" and it turned out to be a fabulous set of little gift bags and a Tag-A-Bag kit to turn them into cute little presents..  Then of course, it was time for a beautiful and elegant meal together.

We were given a wonderful "holiday-themed" meal of Ham and potatoes with a rich and delicious spiced bread pudding to eat for dessert.

And then....
And then...
And then.....

Wrapped Up Pillow Gift #1

One of the most exciting things about any Stampin' Up! trip -- the Pillow Gifts!

Look at the cute linen this gift is wrapped in!

There is nothing so exciting (for a demonstrator at least) as getting new product.  Wonderful new toys to play with and create with.  And when I returned to my room that first evening, this is what I found propped up on my pillow......

This wrapping just keeps getting cuter!

 It was so pretty I didn't even want to unwrap it!  And I have to show you the gorgeous piece of material it was wrapped up in!  How cute is that!!??

And inside all of this..a FANTASTIC photopolymer stamp set with 33 stamps (!!!!) and a set of framelits - ALL from the upcoming Occasions Catalogue.

Stamp set and framelits as a gift - woo hoo!

I have to tell you, if this is any indication of the products that will be in the Spring catalogue, I am very, very excited indeed.

Alas, all good things must come to an end and I actually *DID* go to sleep on evening #1, despite my level of excitement!

What's more, I got over 9 hours of sleep!  THAT never happens!

Well rested and ready to begin day #2.  That's how I felt.  Tune in later for the day 2 update.  

For now, I wish you all a wonderful day and a great weekend coming up.  
God Bless,    ~Cynthia    <><

Founder's Circle - Day 2

Wow!!  Today I got to sit with, eat with, talk with and swap with some of the greatest demonstrators on the face of the planet.  Seriously!  I mean, all the big-wigs, the giants, the best of the best.  And we ended the day with some of these fantastic ladies sharing tips and tricks with us about how to better our business.  Such a wonderful day.  And so much fun!!

When Stampin' Up! does something, they do it RIGHT!  Even the water is presented beautifully.   Every water decanter is always filled with either strawberries or blueberries or melon slices or lemon slices....of course you can have plain water if you wish to, but who can refuse the 'gourmet' water?

And see this water bowl?  It sits on a tray of ice that has lemon and orange slices frozen right into the tray!  A visual and a taste-bud delight!

For tonight's swap (in our jammies) we were greeted by the smell of hot cinnamon and when we entered the hall we found a gentleman preparing cinnamon-coated almonds for us.  I think this may be what heaven is like.  And if it is, let me tell you, heaven smells like cinnamon!    :)
Please don't ask me how many cones of almonds I ate.  It isn't a ladylike number, that's for sure!

And, of course, the room was dotted with various other delectable goodies for us to indulge in.  Stampin' Up! is determined to make me fat, I am convinced!     :) 

While we ate and generally let ourselves be pampered, We heard some amazing demonstrators share some truly outstanding tips with us tonight.  Love that the other ladies are so willing to share with the rest of us!

And after all the eating and indulging and tip-sharing, we went out into the hall and exchanged (swapped) cards.  All 120 of us.  In our pj's. 

 The.  BEST.  Business.  Meeting.  Ever!  

I can't wait to get home and start showing you some of these gorgeous cards.  These ladies are so brilliant and creative!  Can't wait for many of you to see these swaps when you come to my Holiday Catalogue kick-off on Sept 29.

 Then, when all was said and done, I returned to my room to find my second pillow gift.....the most beautiful and *softest* (!!) blanket you can imagine.  It was all rolled up nicely but I had to unroll it and feel its wonderful and luxurious softness! 

Stampin' Up! really is the best company in the world and I love my job.   How many of you get to say that?!?!


Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy your day.  Friday we will be taken to the Kanab facility to see where the stamps are made.  Then they are taking us to a secret location to pamper us in some way.  The whole things is hush hush and secretive.  All I know is that we were told to bring sunscreen and a hat, and sandals, flip flops or water shoes.  We are a little too land-locked in south-western Utah to involve the ocean or beachfront, but there is water here (Lake Powell).  Could our surprise involve a boat?  Check back tomorrow so I can tell you what Day 3 at Founder's Circle was like!!

In the meantime, have a wonderful Friday and a great start to your weekend.
God Bless,     ~Cynthia    <><

Founder's Circle Day 1 - MORE

Well, I'm about ready to hit the sack (in a room all to myself!!)

But first I wanted you to see the way they pamper us here at Founder's Circle.  When we got in to dinner tonight, each of us had a little nautical flag at our place setting and the little package behind is a personalized monogram stamp.

 And our meal?  We were served a bowl filled with Alaskan King Crab legs, shrimp, mussels and more.  The food was amazing!!

And just when I thought I'd died and gone to heaven...I returned to my room to discover the "pillow gift" we'd each been left on our beds.  
 
 I got a new stamp set and you are going to LOVE IT!!  I cannot show it to you yet, but I am betting we use it tomorrow to do some scrapbooking because I also got some new 8x8 designer paper and 8x8 page protectors.  I can't wait!  This is going to be so much fun!!


And you know - the very best part of all - I have already met some absolutely wonderful women.  Inspiring, talented and beautiful women that I know I will learn a lot from.

It's been a wonderful day.  And I am going to sleep with a smile on my face.  I am so very very blessed!  

God Bless you too!     ~Cynthia    <><

Convention 2012 Awards Night

Well friends, awards night was actually Thursday night, but I am just getting around to posting this now.  Sorry for my delinquency, but here is an update:

I got to "walk the stage" 4 times at the Awards evening.  The very first time I went up onto the stage, my shoe broke!  So I spent the rest of the evening going up and down the stairs in my bare feet!  Ack!!  They must think I'm such a bohemian!   :)

Despite my wardrobe malfunction, I made it onto the stage 4 times on Thursday night (and a further 3 times for awards marches on Friday).  Not bad - 7 onstage appearances for my first year as a demonstrator!!

Thursday night at the very elegant gala event, my 2 most memorable walks were for Founders' Circle and Rising Star.  This year, it turns out only 10 people in North America achieved Rising Star.  Not only was I honoured to be one of them, but I was the ONLY Canadian Rising Star recipient this year!  Talk about an honour!  In addition and as I already posted a few days ago, I am one of the top 20 demonstrators in all of Canada this year.  This achievement has earned me a spot in Founders' Circle - one of the highest honours that Stampin' Up! can give its demonstrators.  I feel so completely blessed to be in this exclusive group of women (top 20 Canadians, top 100 Americans).  When I return home and have all my photos downloaded, I will post more about these amazing honours - both the awards these last few days and the retreat trips I will be going on as part of both awards.

I was very lucky that Michelle Sturgeon, a fellow Canadian demonstrator and an incredible lady, was kind enough to share my excitement with me and take several photos - this one included!  Then after the awards ceremony there was a wonderful post-awards party where I got to dance the night away with some truly awesome Canadians from western Canada.  Heidi, Fran (yes you do so have rhythm), Rebecca, Cheryl, Leanne and Lauren (because I *know* you were there in spirit--hope you're feeling better), thank you so much for sharing my excitement and for your willingness to let me be crazy with you for a while.  You ladies absolutely ROCK! 

I'd better keep this "short" as I still have 2 classes left, back-to-back, first thing in the morning.  This is the class that I was asked to help present this year (did I not tell you that I was unbelievably honoured at this, my first Convention?!?).  At any rate, in a very short time I will be on stage again helping to give this talk so I will bid you adieu right now.  But not before I say that I hope your week has been as blessed as mine has been and that your lives have been as full and as rich.  I have smiled from ear to ear for so many days now, I cannot remember what it feels like to 'not' smile!

Have a wonderful Sunday everybody.  God Bless you all!     ~Cynthia    <><

Founder's Circle!!

Well friends - after a loooong day of travel yesterday with a 9 hr layover in Los Angeles, I arrived in Salt Lake City after midnight.  In bed for a few hours then up early to start my day and then just before lunch, it was time to head over to the awards booth to pick up "my award(s)".  Now, I knew last March that I had earned the Rising Star award.  You are only eligible for this award during your first full year as a demonstrator and it is awarded for a combination of having achieved a high level of sales and recruiting/promotions during that year.  So I was expecting to pick up my Rising Star award, as well as my Fiji trip acknowledgement.  Little did I know.....I also earned Founders' Circle!

Founders' Circle is one of the highest honours that Stampin' Up! can award and receiving it means that I have placed in the top 20 of all Canadian demonstrators this year!!  As you can imagine, I was a little overwhelmed when I found out I earned the award.  Some squeals.  Some tears.  Lots of smiles and hugs.  More tears.  I met some wonderful Canadian demos from Winnipeg that gave me hugs and helped share my joy with me (thanks Rebecca and Lauren!!).  New friends whom I instantly feel "old friends" with!  I also got to share the moment with Jill Hilliard and Meg Holland, two exceptional ladies that I got to spend the morning with. 

I am basking in a sense of un-real right now.  Happy.  Overwhelmed.  Smiling continually.  Excited.  you name it!  I told you I would update you from Salt lake City.  Little did I know I would have such exciting news to share!!

Now I get to go back over to the Convention centre and stamp some cards.  Yippee!!   Fun, creativity, old friends and new.  This is going to be a wonderful week!       God Bless,       ~Cynthia    <><