Keeping your Stampin' Up! business going through tough times

Hello my lovely READY, SET, DEMO friends

Today I am sharing some thought on coping with our businesses when life happens.

We all have challenges from time to time, (or all the time!), and keeping your business going can be tough. So here are my quick tips:

 Get ahead when times are good!

Because I was formerly a part time stamper/full time corporate employee, I got into the habit of working ahead. I would design classes up to 2 months and prep them 1 month ahead. I encouraged my customers to book ahead so I could do this.

 When I went full time, I stayed with this strategy. Because of this when my Dad sadly passed away in June, I could take plenty of time out to be with my Mum and family without my classes suffering. I was already prepped through to mid July - including my online classes. (I will always miss my lovely Daddy - he was 90 years old and played sport until he was 89 he was the most honest person I've ever know and he was chair of his housing social committee - he was an inspiration that I will always try to live up to!)

 Let it go - let it go!

 Did you sing along? It is OK to admit that you can't do everything. My regular blog videos are going to disappear during the summer because I cannot realistically catch up. For me, my main income comes from my face to face business - so that is where I have kept my focus. Pick the most important part of your business and stick with that!

Ask for help.

One of my team is very poorly at the moment and can't teach her upcoming class. Instead of cancelling, she first asked if anyone in the team would care to teach it and earn the profits. Now her lovely customers can still come to her house and one of her demo friends will go there and teach them. It's a win win!

Use Stampin' Up! or READY SET DEMO resources.

Stampin' Up! provides lots of project ideas and even videos that you can share on your blog. I am going to be sharing some of those instead of my own videos in August.

 My Ready to Teach Classes (new one coming soon), and Technique Classes can save you hours of design and planning time. The Ready to Teach even have posters, photos, videos, teaching tips, ordering and cutting sheets. Talking of which.....coming SOON is my next Ready to Teach Class...Broadway Birthday. I will back with details shortly with this class perfect for summer or autumn / fall classes.

Take care and I will be back soon

Love Liz X

Online Stamparatus Technique Masterclass

FEATURING TWELVE STAMPARATUS TECHNIQUES,
VIDEOS, PRINTED MATERIALS and more. 

There is so much included that will be fabulous for you as demonstrator either to teach technique by technique at classes or parties or to share as a with-product class as I did. (Oh and it was highest attendance for any class in 3 years!)

Much more than a basic online class, you will receive 

• Full step by step video tutorials showing each of the 12 techniques
• Print-outs describing each technique, suitable to display in Memories and More pockets. (Available for both A4 and US Letter printing). 
• Video showing lots of hints and tips for using and caring for your Stamparatus. 
• A4 & US Letter printable listing all the hints and tips for easy reference. 
• Photographs showing suggested layouts for your technique file
• Teaching hints and tips - how to use this class in your business

The cost for all of this is just £10 / apx $13 US

**NOTE: Products used in this class were current at the time the class was designed. In many cases an alternative stamp/punch/die or DSP design will work for the projects** 

If you have already done my 48 Technique online class and/or my Embossing Paste online class, you will see that this class follows on and all 72 techniques will fit into one Memories and More folder. If you have not done those classes - don't worry - this can be run and taught as a stand alone class.  (Click Classes above and scroll down for the other technique classes). 

Want to see more about the Stamparatus Technique Masterclass? - watch my video below - and have a laugh at the open mouth shot that YouTube picked! LOL 

Why teach with product classes?  The biggest change I have made to my business over the past few years is including with-product classes. It is largely due to this that I reached number 9 for sales in the UK last year  - and I run a traditional class based business - no online sales have helped in that achievement.

Your existing and new customers will LOVE to learn how to get the best from the STAMPARATUS - and those wondering whether to buy it will see the amazing potential of this great new tool. 

Are you ready to join me and increase your sales and income while making your customers happy? 

Pay securely with Paypal and you will receive your class in your email inbox within 24 hours.  £10 (approx $13 US - Paypal exchange rates at time of posting). 

If you have any questions, please let me know

Launch Party Set Up 2018

Welcome to Ready Set Demo

Today's post is picture heavy...because it shows my displays for the launch of our fabulous 2018-19 Stampin' Up! Catalogue.


Especially for my demo friends, is also a video tour featuring some answers to some of the questions I always get when I show my launch displays. (Scroll down for video and links to display board frames....)

Oh and if you would like more tips, free videos and class ideas - do feel free to sign up for my occasional newsletter HERE. 

 Every year I run several launch party events - and this year we had lots of lovely ladies attend. I serve cake, demonstrate projects, make a huge display featuring new Stampin' Up! goodies, talk about upcoming classes and much more. We also have Liz's Lovely Launch Loot where attendees can choose retired goodies with their orders.

It is always a lot of fun....so here are the pictures for you.

The welcome sign featured the Delightfully Detailed Note Cards and Natures Poem Designer Series Paper.

The main display ...



Below, I used the Apron of Love Bundle, and the Crafting Forever stamps along with the Springtime Impressions Thinlits dies to create the Gorgeous Grape / Highland Heather projects on the left below.

On the right are samples made using the New In Colours and the Varied Vases stamps. I am also showcasing the beautiful Delightfully Detailed Laser-cut Speciality paper with a framed project, a card and a sampler of the card front elements.




















Our new colour families are stunning - just look at how well they blend. Loving the all the new colours too.

Here are some of my Natures Poem suite samples 

The Graceful Glass Vellum makes beautiful projects...

And to finish a closer look at the cards I made with all our lovely new goodies....some original designs, some CASED from some of you talented demos who have be gracious enough to share!







So as promised...below is the video.

Links (current as of time of posting) to similar laundry airers on Amazon

UK 

USA 

Australia - thank you Carolin Kapahnke-Millar for this one :)

After extensively searching  can't find anything similar in Australia or New Zealand on Amazon - but perhaps you will locate something similar in a local store? If you find a link - let me know and I will add it here.

Ditto Canada - there was a ridiculously priced one at about $90 ...but nothing in the £10 range. Again if you locate an equivalent I am happy to share it here.

I used a 1/4" black foam board and black velcro strips cut narrow to attach (as seen on video). If you are eagle-eyed you may also notice a join down on the bottom section - I taped at the back and it really doesn't notice when the cards are attached.

I hope all that helps.

Love Elizabeth X

New Ink Pads - storage tips for wooden storage racks

Welcome to Ready Set Demo

Are you loving the new ink pads? As an OnStage presenter, I have had a few for a while and am so convinced I plan to order the full set! I loved the tip I saw on the demo planning page about running a tea light along the edges if your new ink pad sticks - but I have noticed as I use them they move easier anyway.

I will keep my old style pad in the remaining colours for when I need extras for bigger classes. However, as I have said to my team - don't feel you need to change out everything. Buy the new colours you love and share them with your customers. (And there are no shortage of lovely new shades).

Now to the point of this video - for those who have wooden storage racks (stamp n storage and similar), you may find like me that the new pads are just that bit harder to get out...they are a tad shorter than the old ones.

So here is my quick, cheap and easy solution.... I hope you find it helps.

Oh - and a little P.S. - at CentreStage in the UK, we were told that Stampin' Up! were currently working on a new storage solution. I believe the pads Do fit in the Stampin' Up! caddy though with a loser fit - but there is something new coming to suit the new pads perfectly.

Love Liz

FANtastic Nature - Nature's Poem Suite and NEW READY TO TEACH class.

Welcome to Ready Set Demo

Woo hoo! I have taken a couple of days to take a breath and recover from an amazing experience at  OnStage at Telford UK, where I was asked to present the new Nature's Poem Suite.

On this post I have LOTS pictures and project ideas including a new READY TO TEACH class called FANtastic Nature for you. Enjoy the video - check out the projects below and feel free to CASE as you get ready for the new 2018-19 catalogue launch. 

To order my FANtastic Nature READY TO TEACH class securely on Paypal - click below.

• 5 video tutorial projects (as pictured above) including the fabulous fan
• Teaching & up-selling tips video 
• Cutting measurements (inches) 
• Photos without logos to use on your social media 
• Editable flyer/poster for advertising your class 
• Ordering and pricing information in CSV 

**NOTE: Products used in this class were current at the time the class was designed. In many cases an alternative stamp/punch/die or DSP design will work for the projects** 

Now I am editing two things: 

And I did my sums the wrong way round converting UK£ to US$. £11 is about $16US after Paypal do the exchange rate.  Thank you Kelly W for pointing this out

 YAAAAY! brads are back. I am not sure how long the 'legs' are so you may be able to make the fan with the new brads - but until they let us get our hands on them I am not sure. The twine or ribbon will work just fine though. 

IMPORTANT - please do NOT save these pictures on Pinterest public boards - this blog is for demos only so I don't want our customers popping by! Feel free to pin on a secret board if it helps . xxx

IMPORTANT - please do NOT save these pictures on Pinterest public boards - this blog is for demos only so I don't want our customers popping by! Feel free to pin on a secret board if it helps . xxx

Thank you for visiting - and if you'd like to see more samples, class ideas and free project videos please subscribe here so you never miss a post. 

Love Liz X

OnStage Team Gifts

Welcome to Ready Set Demo

Oooh - how exciting! As this post goes live I am at OnStage Local in Telford UK with some of my team and several hundred excited demo friends!

As soon as we are allowed, I will be back here with more to share from OnStage...but I thought I would show you my swaps and team gifts today.

I always try to spoil my team - we have treats and usually a glass or two of something fizzy back at the hotel. Over the years I have given all sorts of gifts. This year I am giving a padded zip bag to keep our new catalogues safe. We are called the Dazzling Dreamers (because if you can dream it, you can do it), so we always have something dazzling. This year it is purple sparkly lanyards and matching extending clips. We also have sparkly notebooks, bag tags and stationery sets.

I have gone to every European Convention and OnStage since I started and I love them. I have presented on MainStage a lot over the years - including a stint serving on the Stampin' Up!  Events Council which was an amazing experience. I can tell you from a behind the scenes perspective a HUGE amount of hard work goes in to these events and the staff and volunteers work tirelessly to give us a great show.

If you have never been, I would encourage you to aim to go next time. You can even pay with flex points - and I can honestly say I always come home inspired and excited to build my business and share everything I have learned with my team and customers.

Back as SOON as the embargo is lifted to share more with you.

Love Liz

Just for my fellow demos - 2 easy to teach projects

Welcome to Ready Set Demo




Brrr - it is COLD here in Southampton, England today! This is the view from my craft room...

....so I am staying here in the warm, writing to you, making a video and designing some projects for my upcoming classes.





I have made a video especially for my fellow demos on how to make two very easy-to-teach projects that have led on to more sales at the class.

I called the class 'Neat and Pretty' and it included 4 cards, an adhesive holder and a storage tin.

**edited to add - thank you for your lovely comments. The size of my tin is approx. 5 1/2" X 4" X 1 3/4" deep - but any small tin would work just fine. **

We also made 4 cards at class using Stampin' Blends and the Petal Passion DSP. (pic below the video) The class was was quick to prep, quick to teach and the ladies loved it.

I hope you have a great 'rest of Sale-A-Bration' and I will be back soon with some new Ready to Teach classes. 

Love Liz X