Hello stampers and happy Friday to you. Starting all over! That is what it feels like and there is a joy in this journey and I want to share the lessons that I learn along the way. Starting all over? What am I talking about? Let’s find out.

Starting All Over!

Did you know that I have been a demonstrator in Canada now for 16 years? I’m officially an old-timer in the Stampin’Up! world and I am proud of it. Now that I am spending more time in the Netherlands as well and running my business almost entirely online in Canada I have also become a demonstrator in the Netherlands. Yes, that is possible!

As a brand new demonstrator in the Netherlands I have decided to start all over here and teach beginner classes. Starting all over I decided it would be best to get back to basics. I think every demonstrator’s true joy is teaching people who have never held a stamp in their hands and inked it up. The joy of discovering creativity is contagious. Last night I taught my first beginner class and it was so much fun. We laughed so much and I actually stamped my sentiment upside down while demonstrating the Stamparatus!

This card was made using the Dutch stamp set Plantenpost which is `Plentiful Plants in English. You can find it on page 81 of the annual catalog. It does come with adorable dies which include to macramé plant hangers, but you can make gorgeous cards without the dies too. That being said, the dies also cut out many images from the designer series paper.

We took the party to the inside and stamped another potted plant and the sentiment using Cinnamon Cider and Just Jade. The stamparatus made positioning the words so simple. I love this tool so much and highly recommend it to all levels of stampers. Truth be told, when it first came out I resisted it thinking it was only for beginners. Now it stays on top of my desk within reach because I use it all the time.

Stepping It Up a Little

Beginner cards don’t have to be ugly or uninspiring. By adding some Bloom Where You’re Planted paper to the envelope flap and a little linen thread to the card we now have a really pretty creation don’t you think?

If you want to see another post featuring the Plentiful Plants bundle, check out this blog post.

One of the Most Beautiful Perks

Do you know why I wanted to start all over here? Besides the fact that I love introducing people to the joy of stamping, I also love, love, love meeting new people. Everyone has a story to tell and my life is enriched by their stories and their souls. Yesterday I had the deep joy of meeting Barbara. She brought me a gift (which was totally unnecessary as I really don’t expect that). The gift had so much thought behind it. Barbara made a cute little box to put it in and we laughed together because we discovered that both of us actually struggle with making boxes!! Inside the box was a bottle of blackberry syrup made by the people that Barbara works with.

You see, this lovely woman works with people who have learning disabilities (in Dutch they say verstandelijk beperkt) It is one of the things that I love so much about Holland is how they deal with their unique populations. Barbara works at the Nooitgedacht Werkboerderij (Never Would Have Thought working farm) and in this beautiful environment people are given meaningful work, some of which I enjoyed with my pancakes this morning!

You can read more about this wonderful place here. Rest assured I will be making a visit and will be telling you more about it!

More Beginner Classes

I am super excited to announce that I will be hosting beginner classes each Friday for the next four weeks at Bloemenlaan 6, -s’Gravenzande 2691 JC at 9:30am. We’ll start with coffee and treats and then make a card at 10am. Cost is only 10 euros. I am looking forward to meeting you and hearing YOUR story.

Don’t Forget!

There are only 6 days left of saleabration, so don’t forget to place your order and get some bonus free items. If you have been sitting on the fence about getting the starter kit, take a leap of faith. You have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain. Your kit has no shipping or tax, you pay only $135 and you get to choose $165 in product (perfect way to get your new die cutting machine!) You also get to choose a bonus Christmas bundle worth up to $80 AND you get to be a part of my amazing team. Together we’ll have more stories to tell.

Thanks for joining me today, have a super day and a great weekend.

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