My Story

My Stampin’ Up! Story

Let’s start in 1993 when I married my wonderful husband and six months later announced he was joining the military. In May of 1994 off he goes with only short visits here and there… (Including the birth of our first son Evan.)When he returns three years later we pack up everything we own and now 2 kids (now ages 2 and 4) into a 4 for Chevy Cavalier…let the adventure begin.

Now that I have just moved away from everything and everyone I have ever known and set up house at Fort Lewis, Washington. I was a good little military wife doing all the things I was supposed to do, including going to every new friends Direct sales in home party….that’s when it happened….I had been volunteering with one of the spouses helping spouse organizations and for the life of me could not figure out how these ladies got their demonstrations and classes to look so good. I’m fairly creative in my “case-ing”, I like to find things that inspire me and then make them my own, so how were they doing it?…. tiny treat boxes, cards gift certificate holders, everything was so stinkin’ cute. One day I found this post card in my mail box, it was an invitation. This invitation was different, it wasn’t cooking, or candles or even jewelry, it was this stamping’ thing….a week later being the good military spouse off I went

OH MY WORD….Holy cow Batman. I watched the demonstrations poured over all the different samples. I could do all this with Stamps, Paper and Ink. The light bulb went on….that’s how those Ladies did it. The only make-n-takes were bookmarks and I fell in love the pastels and water coloring technique. Now not only did I find out the secret to making all the cute stuff but I found a hobby that fits into my ADD world. To my husband’s dismay I ordered more than I was supposed to …I had a $40.00 limit  and I had ordered $55.00…He didn’t understand it was Sale abration and with a $50.00 order I could get a free stamp set. I was all set to play.

In 2001 off we go again, pack everything up including the dogs, and get on a plane for Belgium. This time settling in seemed to be easier, the kids were in school and I had more free time to enjoy my new stamping hobby.  One day my husband and I went to lunch with one of his co-workers and his wife, Rose.  As Rose and I got acquainted she asked I would be interested in joining a stamping club.  Yes of course…That was a no brainer, but nothing really came of it. After a few months of getting to know Rose (who to this day is still one of my dearest friends) was a former Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator. She kept mentioning things to me like “there are no SU demos here”  or “I’ll help you with a club if you become a demo” and well the thought of getting my stamps at a discount  was a plus. So I became a demo and was my own best customer plus a club.

In 2004 we are on our way to Germany.  In Germany I was still my best customer and had a few workshops here and there but my kids needed me and Stampin’ Up offered me the flexibility to put my family first. I have to admit I was the coolest mom; my kids had the cutest treats and favors for every event. Even the Cub Scout Pack where I went from Den Leader to Committee Chair and everything in between had the best handcrafted cards, party favors and art projects.

When we arrived in Italy in June 2006, my kids were older now and I thought it was right time to move my Stampin’ Up hobby to a real business. As I started out in this new very small community I learned that there were 6 other demos and Customer loyalty was high, this is a good thing, just not for me.  I kept plugging away and waiting and now there is just 1 or 2 besides me. I am currently teaching classes for the base Art & Frame Shop and Volunteer instructor for the Navy Exchange’s Saturday Morning Scrapbooking Series.

Now as I reflect back and plan for the future, we are waiting for the Army to tell us where we are going next, I’m grateful for the friendships I made and look forward to the new ones yet to be made. Just about every time I have moved Stampin’ Up! Has been there to help ease my way into every community to make those lasting relationships. Going forward I hope to make new friendships that I can inspire, create and share with, rely less on the internet and enjoy more time with friends and family.