European Convention Swaps and Team Gifts

What an exciting few days I've just had at European Convention, which was held in the wonderful city of Brussels this year …. and my goodness, you can't say that every other shop is a chocolate shop, but almost every one. I don't think I've ever seen so much chocolate in one place …..

…. of course, a good few of these had to escort me home! …. oooooo Yum Yum !!

Swaps are a big thing at any Stampin' Up! event I wanted this years swaps to have a slight twist on them. I used the 25 days Stamp Set that is promoted for making an Advent Calendar for the base of my card swap to create a quirky New Year's card.

I think the NY, created with the Little Letters Thinlit Dies, puzzled a few, who believed it symbolised 'New York'. The quirkiness of my swap was finally seen and appreciated.

I still can't believe that I made and swapped nearly 85 of them and have come home with an abundance of lovely swaps to sift through and take inspiration from. I will of course share these with you over the coming week. I think I am still most excited about the swap I did with Jenni Pauli from Germany … a Demonstrator who I regularly follow and very much admire her work and style.

I travelled to Convention with one of my Downline Team members, Emma Fielding from Cookham Dean, Berkshire. 

It's customary to give pillow gifts to your room buddy, so It was only right to make Emma a little gift to mark her first ever Convention.

I thought that this little keepsake Album was the perfect gift for her to keep all her Convention memories in and I just love the All Abloom Designer Series Paper Stack, that was of perfect sizing to use for this project.

Thankfully she loved it … but perhaps a little too much, as she declared that she'd not be using it, through fear of spoiling it. 

We met some lovely people there. Demonstrators from all over Europe. Some who I've met before or spoken with over the internet and others I met for the first time, but will most certainly be looking out for again … but there's one person who offers great support and guidance and has been there from the word go ….. Chris Lee from our Demonstrator Support Office and I couldn't allow Convention to pass without an Annual catch up with him.

Convention offers a whole host of information and inspiration … from Business presentations, to crafting tips and ideas and I've plenty of that to share with you. You would not believe the talent out there from some of my fellow Demonstrators. 

I shall share some more of these inspirational ideas with you over the coming days, as I begin to unpack my goodies and sort through my photographs.

'til then …

Mikaela x