Becoming an Artisan and My FIRST Artisan Creation: Stampin’ Up! Artisan Blog Hop

Welcome to the very first Stampin’ Up! Artisan Blog Hop brought to you by the new 2014-2015 Artisan Design Team!  


Maybe you’re stopping by my blog for the first time today, so let me introduce myself.  Hi, I’m Allison.  

I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and I have been a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator for 5 years.  I have previously worked as a Pastry Chef, but I’ve since hung up my white jacket to pursue my Stampin’ Up! business full time, and I’m LOVING every minute!


So, are you wondering how this Artisan Design Team gig came to be?  Well let me tell you a story…

Rewind three months.  It’s June, and I’m in my office working on some creations for my upcoming blog posts.  The phone rings.  I have call display so I can see that it’s someone calling from Utah.  I’m instantly stressed because I think it’s my Stampin’ Up! business development advisor and I’ve COMPLETELY forgotten about our call.  Uh oh.

I answer, and the voice greeting me on the other end is one I don’t recognize.  The lovely voice introduces herself and I learn it’s Gwen….the corporate leader of the Stampin’ Up! Artisan Design Team.  I’ve been selected for the 2014-2015 Artisan Design Team!  Whoa!  This is a dream come true.  I’m shaking (and crying) as Gwen keeps talking, explaining some of the details to me…mainly that I can’t tell anyone my amazing news until Convention.  Oh geez…

So one LONG month goes by as I keep myself busy with work (I was in the final weeks to earn the Stampin’ Up! Getaway Trip to Washington, DC…nailed it!).  FINALLY Stampin’ Up! Convention rolls around and I’m off to Salt Lake City with several members of my stamping team as well as my upline to party Stampin’ Up! style for 4 glorious days!  We go shopping, attend classes, see old friends, meet new ones.  Basically we are livin’ it up!

Friday night at Convention is Awards Night.  The moment I’ve been waiting for!  All my stamping besties will finally know that I’m on the Artisan Team.  Woo hoo!  Wow, I was NERVOUS.  So, so nervous.  My name is called, I’m sitting on the wrong side of the room (of course), and I have to make my way up THE FRONT of the stage in high heels, that are suddenly so slippery!  Thankfully Sean Douglas came to help me, phew!  I hug the beautiful Shelli Gardner (Stampin’ Up!’s Co-founder and CEO) as she congratulates me.  I stand on stage wide eyed and terrified as the other members of the team make their way to the stage.  I was shaking in my high heels and my mouth was so dry I couldn’t talk, but I was loving every minute of it.

After a group photo, we walk off stage and are presented with the most beautiful box.  Inside is a Tiffany bracelet, a personalized Artisan Design Team stamp, as well as a welcome book and several beautiful paper flowers.  It is truly stunning.

It was somewhat surreal to go to the Awards Night after party and see my face on the display boards with some of my favourite projects from my blog.  I loved walking around and looking at the boards for the other 15 members of the team, relieved to finally know who they are.  I’m so excited to get to work with them this year!

The rest of Convention was amazing and I wore my new Tiffany bracelet with pride!

So fast forward a few more weeks. I’ve learned a little more about what being on the Artisan Design Team means.  We create projects once per week for a blog hop (why you’re here today), and we will submit projects for Stampin’ Up! to use on their blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram accounts.  Cool!

So do you want to see what I’ve created for my very first Artisan Design Team blog hop?  Thought so…

I absolutely LOVE the sponged polka dot background of this card. To create this look yourself you’ll first want to sponge a piece of Whisper White card stock with Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, and Tempting Turquoise inks.  Then place the polka dot mask from the Dots & Stripes Decorative Masks over top and apply Basic Black ink with a Sponge Dauber through the holes.  

I added some stamping from the And Many More and Sea Street stamp sets to make this polka dot beauty into a baby card.  

When I die cut the pieces for the card, I saved the remnants and used them to decorate my envelope.  I love creating envelopes to compliment my cards.  

The new Kraft Cardstock is so thick and luxurious.  It’s fabulous for card bases, and makes an amazing envelope (using the envelope punch board of course!).  


Thank you SO much for stopping by my blog today!  I hope you’ll hop over and see the next member of the Artisan Design Team, Barbara Meyer!

Have a great day friends!  I’ll ‘see’ you tomorrow!
Happy Stampin’
Allison

Let’s get social!  ‘Like’ NicePeopleStamp on Facebook & follow me on Instagram and Pinterest!  

And for all the latest class announcements and Stampin’ Up! specials subscribe to my newsletter.

Shop in my Canadian Online Stampin’ Up! Store by clicking on any of the products below:  

Sea Street Wood-Mount Stamp Set

Sea Street Clear-Mount Stamp Set

And Many More Wood-Mount Stamp Set

And Many More Clear-Mount Stamp Set

Basic Black Classic Stampin’ Pad

Tangerine Tango Classic Stampin’ Pad

Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin’ Pad

Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin’ Pad

Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin’ Pad

Kraft 12″ X 12″ Card Stock

Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock

Tempting Turquoise 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock

Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper

Basic Black Baker’s Twine

Dots & Stripes Decorative Masks

Sponge Daubers

Stamping Sponges

3/4″ Circle Punch

Big Shot

Circles Collection Framelits Die

Stars Framelits Die

Envelope Punch Board

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.