Wow - just back from a few days away at the Stampin' Up Australia Convention for 2012 and what a fabulous way to recharge the batteries.   Now I know lots of you would love to see some pics and share some of the excitement so I've been busy this morning unloading my camera and phone.   (Much more fun than doing the dishes - ha ha!)

This year the event was held at the Canberra Convention Centre.    

Why do I love going to convention?

So many reasons - here are just a few ......

* Catching up with heaps of  my stamping friends - team mates, Think Ink team members, online friends, demonstrators I've gotten to know over the years and new people I've just met in Canberra.  Talking crafts and stamping and families and inks and life and craft tools and lots more. 

* Getting inspired creatively with all the fabulous presentations, display boards, tool tables - so so so many ideas I've come home busting to try.

* I always come home inspired with ideas for my personal life too - so many of the messages and ideas are relevant to so much more than crafts.  Stampin' Up really do such a wonderful job of encouraging people to reflect and reevaluate and prioritise. 

* The lovely Managers' Reception where we gather and chat with other ladies who are building teams.  Stampin' Up do a great job of spoiling us and making us feel rather special.  This year it was a surprise destination which turned out to be Parliament House - a very picturesque venue for our evening.  Nibblies, chatting, a presentation and we all went home with a beautiful gift - a brand new stamp set and a handcrafted frame.

* Products, products, products.  We always come home with a bunch of goodies.  This year we all got some stamp sets from the upcoming annual catalogue, and some DSP and fabric.  We could shop in Memento Mall for some goodies like bags and tops and umbrellas and what not.  And of course a highlight is always Prize Patrol time.  We all have a little coloured tag and if yours comes up on the screen you win a prize - forthcoming products.  This year the prizes were GORGEOUS.  I was lucky lucky lucky and won a beautiful butterfly stamp set and the brand new diagonal scoring plate.

* Saturday night is always a sparkly affair.  We all dash off after the general session finishes and get dolled up, then head back for a candle lit dinner.   I think SU dinners are about the only place where I don't feel like a complete dill taking a photo of my dinner - ha ha.  With all those scrapbookers and bloggers there was lots of snap snap snapping. 

* I loved sitting with some of my Think Ink team members (and my roomie Miriam.)  We had such a nice evening.  Don't the flowers look nice. 

Think Ink team pic .....

Waving a hi to Judy, Rachel, Toby and Tina - I loved sharing convention with you this year. 

My roomie Miriam - loved our late night chats. 

* Why else is Convention exciting????  The awards night - yay!   Rather sore hands with all the clapping for demonstrators who received sales, team building, leadership and community contribution awards. 

* I was excited to walk up on stage for a sales award, and for making it to 17th in the Australian Top 25 Demonstrator of the Year awards.  Stoked to see my team member Kylie at 23rd place along with a recruiting award (we gave you a big yay Kylie) and my upline Claire at 19th.  My team mates Genna, Kathryn and Elaine received sales awards too.  Lots of clapping for team members and for all our other demonstrator friends too.  I unloaded my camera and got a nice surprise to find a pic of me flitting across the stage - thanks to my friends who snapped that one!  (Was that you Rachel - thank you.)

* Another reason I LOVE convention is that we hear lots of exciting announcements.  I love hearing where the 2013 Convention and Incentive Trip are going to be held.

Care to join us in Brisbane in 2013?  Start saving, join our team - we'd love to have you along for the fun. 

You might possibly have heard the cheer when they announced that the Incentive Trip for 2013 is to .....

(Or the Stampin' Up mothership as one of my friends called it - ha ha, waving a hi Michelle!)

Lots of people setting goals and making plans to qualify for that one I bet.

Here's a little pic of my awards night loot ......  A big thank you to my lovely lovely customers, class gals and team members who helped me get these. 

Now all that was left was to cram everything back into the bags - yeeks! - and head off to the airport.

I had a fabulous time away but it was very nice to get home again to my gorgeous three.  Recharged, revitalised and ready for a new week.  Funny how a few days away helps us all appreciate each other even more.  A big thanks to John and the kids for jiggling and juggling and making it work for me to be away. 

Now I'd best get to those dishes I think!   Hope you've enjoyed a little snapshot of the Stampin' Up Convention 2012.

Cheers, Sue