Blog Update

Hi There,

Hopefully this post finds you all doing well! Spring is now officially here and with the weather turning nice (finally), many of us will be outside, enjoying the sun!!

I know that I need to get back into a regular habit of posting, and I plan to start that this week however I wanted you to know that I am only going to aim to post 1-2 times per week. Life is very busy right now, as I'm sure it is for you also, so I believe that if I set reasonable posting goals, I should have no issues fitting it into my week :o)

Looking forward to sharing some recent creations with you this week! I'll be back!

Stampin' Up! Classes - Have your say!

What kind of class would you like to see offered?

Just leave a comment with your response and you will be eligible to win a FREE class in May. Winner to be announced April 30th 2011 - by way of a blog announcement.

Thanks All!
Lb

Hockey ...Not Stamping!

I don't often post non-stamping related updates but today I'm going to as I really didn't get much stamping done this past weekend! My 7-year old was playing with his local league team in the John Horvat Memorial tournament in Bothwell!

They did very well as a team, winning the C division Championship game and taking home hardware for winning the Relay Skills Competition!! Way to go Dragons!

My challenge for the week will be to turn these pics into an MDS page to share with you! Stay tuned for that!!

TOMORROW is a BIG, BIG day! Sale-A-Bration begins so if you would like to earn FREE Stampin Up! rewards, email me (lisaburns@rogers.com) or watch my blog for updates & information!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Life is good...

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

It's the start of a brand new year! A time to set new goals and work toward new challenges!

I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for the Burns family!

Thanks for all your patience as I took some time away from blogging to spend time with family & friends. I hope you got to enjoy some downtime also!

These next few months will be busy! Busy getting back into the routine of school & work, busy with hockey and busy of course with my Stampin' Up! business! Our biggest promotion of the year is right around the corner so if you're familiar with SALE-A-BRATION you know that you're in for a treat!

If you haven't heard of SALE-A-BRATION (SAB for short) yet - don't worry - you will learn lots more about it over the next few weeks as I prepare for my winter class/event schedules and workshop bookings!

Have a wonderful first day of January everyone! Be back soon...promise :o)

Day 2 at the Fair!

Another beautiful day at the Dorchester Fair and there was lots going on...

More Monster Truck / Derby events, a talent show and of course rides, food and vendors!

It was a long day for me, but a great one! I spent the day at the Fair showing friends some stampin' tricks and once that was over I rushed home, dressed into something warm and drove across the border to Port Huron to meet up with my family and some friends for Thanksgiving dinner! Couldn't stay the night because I'm off again tomorrow morning for the final day of the Fair, but it was sooo worth the drive! What a great meal!!

Tomorrow is a holiday - Thanksgiving Monday for most Canadians! I hope you celebrate the day off with family & friends, enjoying lots of great food, activities and memories!

If you find yourself looking for a fun family activity to do together, the Dorchester Fair is open Monday from 10-4pm! There's even a FREE pancake breakfast in the Donnybrook building starting at 10am!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

I haven't forgotten about you...

I just don't have a working camera to post new pictures right now, which is a shame really because I've been creating like a mad-woman and want to share with you!!

I'm hopeful I will have a working camera by the weekend!

For now, I'll continue to post some updates in text and include stored pictures where I can. Thanks for your patience while I work through this :o)

Craft Room Renos!

Where have I been?

Well, the answer to that is two-fold...

1) I've enjoyed some vacation time with my family and even though we went away for just 1 of our 2 weeks of holidays, I wanted to take a bit of time away from the computer and focus on outdoor activities (while the weather is still cooperating :o)

and

2) My craft room is undergoing a bit of a face-lift so I haven't been in it as much as usual!!

These picture were taken while Andreas (my friend & the Electrician that helped me) was working on his piece. The countertop has been delivered (not shown yet), and the cabinetry is on its way! Next steps are to have the installer come in for a day to assemble the cabinets; have Andreas come back to finish under-the-cabinet lighting and the wiring for a small T.V and then complete the room with decor & display shelving!!

I am so excited about plans to enhance my Craft Room and thought I would share some information with you. If you are a regular class attendee, or your participate in my monthly club events, you may have noticed some changes occurring in my room!

The wall shown above will soon be filled with more cabinetry as well as some counter top! The objective of this renovation is to clean up the workspace (from a visual perspective) and provide more storage & counter top space for workstations (i.e a Big Shot station; a heat embossing station; a cutting station etc)! I have spent about 4 months planning the reno's and could not have done it without the help of one of my customers (and now friend) Alicia Kostyria! More to come on Alicia in a later post!

I will be sure to share more pictures of the reno's and of course the completed project. I fully plan to start calling my room a CRAFT STUDIO once this is all over! I think the space will truly reflect a comfortable, creative and inspiring environment for my customers and that is exactly what I was going for during this process!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a fantastic week everyone!!

Here it is!!

Here`s how to earn this fabulous Idea Book & Catalogue for FREE...

• Join My Team - I`ll start you off with your own FREE catalogue right away but you`ll get 8 more in your Starter Kit. Ask me for full details or join me for a Stampin`Up! Informational Night on Sunday July 4th. RSVP required please.
  
• Book A Home Party - why not book a fun-filled night with a few friends &/or family and enjoy some stampin`time! Guarenteed to be a stress-free experience!
  
• Attend My Open House - where you can earn this catalogue for FREE with every $100 order in addition to taking advantage of my popular 2 FOR 1 Surplus Sale!!

If earning the catalogue for FREE isn`t in the cards for you, you are more than welcome to buy the catalogue! I will have my traditional Open House cost on all of the new 2011 IB&C`s - simply email me to get more information.

If you`re an online kinda gal - the 2011 IB&C should be available soon! I will update my blog links and share the FYI once I see that update.

Happy Shopping Everyone!

25% off In Color Markers!! WOW!

Have you ever created a marvelous card, only to get frustrated when you couldn’t find a coordinating marker?

With Stampin’ Up!’s exclusive coordinating color families, that will never happen again. And now our markers are available in our In Color collection!

■ Dual tipped markers: .5 mm fine point and flexible brush

■ Odorless, water-based dye ink

■ Coordinates with Classic Stampin’ Pads and exclusive Stampin’ Up! card stock

■ Finger grips on cap aid in easy cap removal

■ Set of 6 markers: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, and Soft Suede

If you act fast, you can get this set for just $19.46 as part of the LAST CHANCE retiring accessory promotion! Regular price for the Marker set is $25.95.

Note - 3 of these 6 colors are carrying over to the 2011 Color Collections!! Email me, or order online at http://www.lisaburns.stampinup.net/! Here's a sample using the '09/'10 In Color Markers!

Difficult to understand...

There are not many things that stop us in our tracks and force us to reflect like the passing of friends or family. This week, I have watched two separate families deal with the loss of loved ones, taken from them far too early in life.

In both cases, these families struggled along side their loved ones throughout lengthy illnesses - learning more about cancer than I'm sure they ever wanted to know. In both cases, these amazing young women left massive impressions on all the lives they touched - this was abundantly clear as we celebrated their short time with us, this past week.

My heart goes out to these ladies (now angels watching over us all), their families, their friends - and all those that are left to understand 'why' and how to go on without them, and I'm reminded of these extraordinary individuals by some of their favorite sayings / quotations:

"Try to live life from the point of love and trust rather than fear and doubt"

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain."

"Plan for the future, but live for today"

You will be forever loved and remembered Kim & Nicole. May you rest in peace knowing you made a difference in this world for so many...

Common Questions About SU! As A Business

Question: Do I have to run an official 'business' if I sign up?

Answer: Yes & No. Yes, you have to sign what's called an Independent Demonstrator Agreement (IDA for short), but that document is really just to ensure you won't be using the SU! name or it's products for purposes outside of company policies. And 'No', in that a large percentage of our demo family would consider themselves 'hobbyists'. I'll define that a bit further in an upcoming post but for now, know that you can join the SU! family / my team simply for the FUN of it! You do not need to hold workshops/classes/clubs or the like in order to take advantage of the Starter Kit value! You can purchase it simply for the deal!!

Question: Do I have to decide if I'm going to be an 'active' demo or a 'hobby' demo when I sign up?

Answer: No. You can certainly change your mind anytime within your active status and go in either the direction of an 'active' or a 'hobby' demo. When you sign up, you don't need to indicate which direction you are leaning.

That said - there are a few advantages to knowing which direction you are planning on taking the opportunity, upon signing up: 1) What you select within your Starter Kit and 2) How quickly you make the choice to join. If you are planning on trying your hand at a business, you might want to stick more closely with the 'suggested' Starter Kit because it has been designed with the 'Active' demo in mind. It will contain coordinating products that enable you to get your kit and start holding classes or workshops within the same week (if you wanted to)!

I would also suggest that if you want to try your hand at the business aspect - that you ACT SOON and contact me to work out the details of joining my team.

The reason why... there is NO BETTER time to join the family than during the famous Sale-A-Bration promotion! Not only do YOU get rewarded for signing up, but the opportunity to book a few starter workshops is really good right now because of the amazing customer benefits SU! is offering! Jan/Feb/Mar are historically months where people enjoy their 'indoor' activities and are more inclined to try something new ...like stamping, or book something fun indoors with their friends/family!

Question: What's in the Starter Kit and what do I get for signing up during Sale-A-Bration?

Answer: A lot! Hopefully you're sitting down for this answer...

Sale-A-Bration Benefits for New Demo's - It's a good one! You'll not only get the Starter Kit for 15% off, but you'll also get to pick ANY stamp set valued up to $63.95 from the current catalogues as a FREE gift for joining!! This is a great time to join my team!!

Standard Starter Kit

Regular Price $269
SAB Sale Price $225 (Kit contents valued at $400 SU! product + Business Supplies)!!

Digital+ Starter Kit

Regular Price $239
SAB Sale Price $199 (Kit contents valued at $385 + Business Supplies)!!

There is NO SHIPPING charge ever for the Starter Kit and there is only 1 tax charged (8% PST) vs 13% when GST is added in. In addition to the amazing selections below, new team members signing up during SAB will also get to select 1 FREE STAMP SET of their choice from any of the current catalogues (valued up to $63.95). This is the first time SU! has combined a kit discount + a free stamp set! Amazing!

Here's a summary of what you'll get in the Standard Starter Kit or click here for more info on the Digital+ Starter Kit!

• 5 Stamp Sets (option to customize the sets)
• 5 Classic Ink Pads (option to customize colors)
• Versamark Ink Pad
• 3 Pkgs of Cardstock (option to customize colors)
• Stampin' Scrub Cleaning Pad + Mist
• Pkg of 3 Blender Pens
• Pastels
• Standard Wheel Handle
• Standard Ink Cartridge (option to customize color)
• Standard Wheel (option to customize)
• Snail Runner Adhesive
• 1 Decor Element + Applicator

In addition to the products in the kit, new team members will receive a compliment of business tools/supplies such as Catalogues, Mini's, Order Forms, Hostess Forms/Envelopes, Party Invitations and Informational DVD's! Everything you need to get your business up & running!

I'll be back again soon with some helpful information on the difference between an 'Active' demo vs a 'Hobby' demo! Hope you enjoyed today's information session!

What Would You Do With Some Extra Cash?

I'm sure your list is as long as mine *lol*

What if I told you that you could earn that extra cash by doing something you love to do anyway?

Might seem to-good-to-be true, but it is something quite attainable. I would consider myself and a number of other Stampin' Up! demonstrators true testiments! Of course, the harder you work at something, the more it rewards you. This is certainly true of Stampin' Up! as a home business!

Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to focus some different posts on information about Stampin' Up! Information about the many different ways you can customize an opportunity to join SU! while making it work for YOU and your family! I will also spend some time breaking down the benefits of being a part of this amazing family of talented demonstrators and/or my team! I hope you find this information helpful!

If you have any questions from my posts, you can certainly leave a comment on this blog and I can answer publically. If you would rather ask a question privately, feel free to email me anytime at lisaburns@rogers.com

Have a wonderful week everyone!! February is here!!

4 Step Process To Achieving Christmas In Feb/March:

1. We book a date for your very own Sale-A-Bration stamping party (in Feb or Mar) and you tell your friends/family/neighbours that they MUST be there for the fun!

2. We have your party, where you and your guests will learn tons of great new stamping ideas and make some fun projects!

3. You have some FUN browsing the pages of our amazing catalogues and pick out lots of great

FREE items as the Hostess!

4. Approximately 6-8 days later, you receive this on your doorstep...

And voila...it's like Christmas all over again (but in February or March)!! Email me anytime to book your Sale-A-Bration gathering! lisaburns@rogers.com

NEW POLL - Please Take A Moment To Complete!

I'm considering changing my blog ... before I do that I want/need your input!

If you've stopped by for a peak at my blog today, please take a moment to let me know where you fall into the categories!

The poll is just off to the right (right nav bar) and will remain available for 4 more days.

I really appreciate it! Many Thanks!

New Display Board - Lots Of Work BUT Well Worth It!

So...

I offered to bring a Display Board to our recent Razzle Dazzle Event last weekend - it was the least I could do since I couldn't commit to being a part of the planning committe. I typically change my board Quarterly so that time was quickly approaching anyway but I just didn't quite feel ready for Fall/Winter projects yet...

So, I challenged myself to update the board with late summer, and new 2010 In Color projects instead. Yes - this will mean that I need to update it once again in another month or so, but that's ok - after all, I have ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD TO DO THIS! That's funny eh :o)

If you attend my classes, clubs or events regularly, you'll see this up close & personal on your next visit but if not, I hope the board inspires you to pull out your craft supplies and make a card for someone, or a new scrapbook page! Go ahead and copy - that's what they are there for :o)

Have a great day everyone - as always, thanks for stopping by! Here are the panels shown individually for a closer look.

Back From Algonquin Park!

We had a really nice time up in Algonquin Park this past week! The weather was up & down but I think everyone has come to expect that this summer - we made the most of the weather while it was good!

Last year was our first camping trip that far up North, and it was definitely a great experience so off we went again this year. My DH picked a different campground than last and struck gold with an amazing site, lots of space for Evan to safely roam and ride his bike (although I'm certainly glad I brought the extra box of bandaides!! Boys... I tell ya *sigh*!!

I will get into some stampin' projects over the next couple of posts (I managed to get some stamping time this year camping!!!!) but for now I'll share a few pictures from our trip! If you like camping, or the outdoors, or adventure - you should make a trip to Algonquin Park! Lots to see & do for all ages!!

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Fun At Canada's Wonderland!

Yesterday, we took another day trip - this time to Canada's Wonderland with our friends Mary, Spencer, Nicholas and Jackson. We had a fabulous time being 'kids' for the day!

This trip was a first for Evan and myself (yes, sad as it is, I had never been to this theme park before), but it definitely won't be our last! Today was Toyota Family Day at Wonderland so employee family & friends had the park all to ourselves from 9-10am, before the park opened to the public! It was awesome! I didn't realize just how nice this perk was until later in the afternoon when we waited on average 45mins to get on most rides (yuck)... But aside from that theme park reality, we LOVED the experience!

I don't often post non-stamping pictures on my blog but thought I would share some of the fun we had! Have I mentioned how much I LOVE VACATION TIME!??!!

Busy Stampin' Up! Day!

Today was one of those days where ya feel like you're in a whirlwind tunnel and you can't get out! There was just SO MUCH going on today between Canada Day celebrations and Stampin' Up! announcements - I feel like I need another day off :o) lol!

Since I'm on vacation starting Friday (for 2 weeks - yey), I think I can manage to get by the next 2 days at work!!

So - what was announced today? I think I'll provide a quick overview of the announcements and then post all the details daily for the remainder of this week. Hopefully this will make it easier to keep track!

Here we go...

• The 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalogue officially launched today and I can take orders as of 2pm
• SU! announced that they will be having a WEEKLY SPECIAL - kind of like a spot special throughout the month of July. The first weekly special has been announced - I'll post those details tomorrow OR visit my Business Website if you can't wait :o)
• SU! announced a NEW mini Starter Kit!
• SU! announced a special July promotion for anyone looking to buy the full Starter Kit!
• My July class schedule has been published and shared with my customer list. If you're not on that list, but would like to be - email me at lisaburns@rogers.com!
• I've chosen a date for my next Surplus Sale / Open House!

I think that's it...I could easily be missing something but I'll gather all the announcements and begin working on postings for the rest of the week + I have samples to show you, new products to highlight, new accessory share information etc etc!

So much to tell you - so little time! Have a great rest-of-your-night everyone!!

Fun Day Ahead!

Most importantly because today is CANADA DAY! I love this holiday as it allows us time to teach our kids all about 'why' we have such a fantastic country, and that we should never take living in it for granted!

Each year our community celebrates together, with fun activities for the kids, gatherings, fireworks, BBQs and a really fun duck race! Don't worry - no real ducks are used for the race... just the fun little plastic ducks that would typically be found in the bath tub :o)

This year is a bit different for us, in that my DH is working today and his company is giving them this coming Friday off. Great for him to get a long-weekend, but we were a little sad knowing he wasn't going to be with us for all the fun! We've established such a tradition with family on this day :o( Ah well, I've promised to take lots of pictures!

Thought I would share the little Canada Day package I made for Evan for today. I'm so lucky to work downtown London and have a dollar store right across the street in the mall so my friend and I (Hey Liz!) took a trip over on our lunch and I stocked up on Canada Day goodies! Amazing what you can get for a buck or two eh :o)

Have a fabulous day everyone. Whether you decide to take in some of your local festivities, or relax at home with family & friends...ENJOY! I'll be back later today with some exciting Stampin' Up! news - there's lots of it today!!

OH BOY! New Stuff Arriving!

Yesterday, I received my preorder from the new catalogue - a bit late ordering it this time around but nonetheless, I`m still excited to have received it!

TODAY however is the day I`m suppose to receive my first order from the Spring Summer IB&C, including all Open House orders!! YEY!

Some of the sets I`ll have for classes in February/March include:

Just Buzzin`By

Game Night

Petal Pizzazz

Sweet Stems

Elegant Thank You

Hoppy For You

Sweet Little Sentiments

My February class schedule will be sent out to my customer email list this weekend! Contact me at lisaburns@rogers.com if you wish to be added to this list!

Thanks for stopping by today - have a wonderful FRIDAY!!!