SU! Convention 2008 Report - Part 1

Hi everyone! I'm back. We returned from the Stampin'Up! convention Sunday night around 11:00 PM. I'm still a little exhausted but bursting with ideas and, as always, totally jazzed for the upcoming year. (Stampin'Up!'s year runs July through June.)

One of the most exciting things we demonstrators look forward to at convention is a look at the new catalog and of course SWAPS! I can't show you the catalog yet. It will premiere on the Stampin' Up! website August 11th. But, trust me, it's beautiful as usual and filled with some really cool new stamp sets, gorgeous new designer series papers, and "got-to-have" accessories.

Here's a look at my swaps. I don't have a final count, but I received over 300. There's lots of beautiful work here by some really creative demonstrators. While I can't show every single one - that would take forever - I plan to share some of my favorites with you over the coming weeks.

And now for a summary of some of the announcements made during the convention.

• The premiere of Stampin'Up!'s newest product line - the Sizzix Big Shot with exclusive Stampin'Up! dies. Yes, we will be carrying the Sizzix Big Shot starting in September. I'll share more of this info. later.
• 24/7 online ordering. Starting this Fall customers can order Stampin'Up! product directly online. Again, more info. to come.
  
• Celebrando Creatividad, a catalog supplement featuring spanish language stamp sets, will premiere along with the new SU! catalog August 11th. There will also be spanish versions of Stampin'Up's website and demonstrator website.
  
• Shelli's Signature Collection will launch this fall. This collection spans the entire Stampin'Up! product line and includes Stampin'Up! co-founder Shelli Gardner's favorite products and some that she personally played a part in developing.
• Decor Elements Phase 2 - We got to see a sneak peek at some of the new Decor Elements that will be available this fall. In addition to new images, phase 2 will also offer new colors. Many of the new images are holiday related and will be available to customers beginning October 1st.
  
• Country Living partnership - For the second year Stampin'Up! will partner with Country Living magazine to offer an exclusive holiday kit. The kit will include stamps, designer paper, and accessories; and will be featured in a 20 page spread in the magazine's December issue.
• SoShelli.com - Stampin'Up! cofounder Shelli Garnder has started her own personal blog. Here is the link. You can visit her blog to find gift and project ideas, and a personal look at Shelli's family activites.

Well, I've got to catch up with some laundry and housekeeping. I'll post more photos and news later.