Jennifer Schaerer

I spent the better part of yesterday thinking back on my first year here at Paper Crafts (I know! It’s been a YEAR!), and one of the most satisfying parts of being part of this community is the enthusiasm and support for this oh-so-creative hobby of paper crafting.

And last week my cup, um, overfloweth with enthusiasm when I got to attend the annual convention for Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. Ever seen clips from a Hannah Montana concert? Yeah, it was sorta like that, but with grown women in the audience.

Before the tidal wave of energy arrived

With a theme of Inspire. Create. Share. and some vibrant colors and set design to go with it, there was plenty of all three to go around. The most exciting part was hearing about the new design software being released Fall 2009: My Digital Studio. Let me tell you, this is one powerful and versatile tool, my friends. Keep an eye out for more information when the product is released.

Stampin’ Up! also unveiled its partnership with Build-A-Bear, releasing dies, designer paper and stamp sets that delightfully capture the charm of these furry do-it-yourself critters in paper crafted form.

Kelly Smith, Brittany Beattie, me, Megan Hoeppner and Brenda Peterson “sharing” the fun!

After the general session broke for lunch, we (Kelly Smith, Brenda Peterson, plus our Creating Keepsakes peeps Megan Hoeppner and Brittany Beattie rounded our group) wandered through the lunchroom to see the project displays. I somehow managed to pick up my jaw from the floor and dig out my camera to start manically snapping photos of each color-themed section.

Until my battery died. And I’m not even kidding you.

But I was able to capture a good dozen shots, and I’m here to share the wealth. Get set to scroll through some catchy color combinations and lovely layering ideas. Ready? Go!

The lunch area was packed with hundreds of enthusiastic demonstrators refueling for two more days of Stampin’ Up! fun, so we gave a big inspired sigh and went back to our magazine world for the rest of the day.

Looking forward to another year as enjoyable as the past one,
Jennifer

P.S. I’d love to hear what aspect of paper crafting makes your cup overfloweth with enthusiasm. Leave a comment and I’ll pick two winners to each receive a Stampin’ Up! stamp set. All comments must be received by midnight (MST) on Friday, August 14.