The Next Royal Blog Tour

I've received many emails inquiring about the next Royal Blog Tour. I'm so happy you're all anxiously awaiting our next tour. Our team is beginning to make preparations for it now. All I will tell you is that it will be in the spring! Registration for the tour will start 6 weeks prior to tour launch. There will only be 48 spots on the tour, so register early! There will be a waiting list in case we have spots vacated during the six-week preparation period.

Here are some FAQ's regarding the tour:

WHY DO YOU CHARGE A FEE?

• We found that most visitors on the RBT (Royal Blog Tour) were other Stampin' Up! Demonstrators. We love to share with our stampin' sisters, but we also wanted the tour to offer an opportunity to find new customers and maybe even a new downline. To widen our audience would require more aggressive advertising. Therefore, we charge a fee that is used to pay for advertising of the RBT.

IS THE FEE USED ONLY FOR ADVERTISING?

• Ten dollars of the fee is used for advertising, our Tour-Wide Blog Candy give-away, and small out-of-pocket expenses like postage. The other $5 is a refundable fee if a participant completes the tour. In the past, we had participants who dropped out sometimes the day the tour launched. This threw our organization into chaos. As much as I hate to say this, when someone puts down money, it has more value to them and keeps the tour in the forefront of their mind! It is a small deposit, and most of our participants are happy to pay it. In fact, many of our princesses refused their refund check and instead opted to donate it to the advertising fund! Thank you!

• Please note: the $10 fee is not used by any member of the team , nor is it applied to anything but advertising for the benefit of those on the tour. Team members do not use this fee for their benefit (no, we don't have a "wrap party" at your expense! LOL), nor does the fee apply to anything else on the tour. The tour is basically free, as are the services of the RBT committee. The fee that is charged is used to bring potential customers to blogs on the tour, and, in the case of the $5 refundable fee, to insure that the tour stays intact up until and through the tour.

WILL THERE BE SCHOLARSHIPS AGAIN?

• Due to the greatly reduced number of spots available as well as the abuse by a few of the system, scholarships will not be handed out randomly, and they are not unlimited. A real need must be demonstrated, there will be a finite number of scholarships, and people who work on the committee will receive first preference. The team members work very hard, and there should be some benefits for the time and effort they give without any reward but the pleasure of serving. If you want to apply for membership on the team, you can email me at luciakaiser@hotmail.com . Right now we are in need of computer specialists and good writers to conduct interviews with princesses for the next tour.

IF I CAN'T GET ON THE TOUR, HOW DO I GET ON THE WAITING LIST?

• If no more castles are available when you register, you will be put on the waiting list if you request it. If you are on the waiting list, you will be expected to prepare samples for the RBT in the event you are called on at the last minute to fill in a spot on the tour.
  

WHAT ARE THE RULES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR BEING ON THE TOUR?

The following are specific requirements that will be strictly enforced. While we know unexpected circumstances come up, there will be no exceptions to the rules. When you register for the tour, you will be required to agree to the following:

1. The Royal Blog Tour is open only to Stampin' Up! Demonstrators who are members of the LNS Blog Tour Group and/or LNS Demo Only group. If you are not a member of either of these groups, you can join by clicking on the icons found in the right sidebar of this blog. Members of the Blog Tour Group receive two days advance notice of registration before it is released to the public on this blog.
2. All tours start and end on this blog, and it is to this blog you should send your customers and friends to start the tour.
3. This blog will be where people can play the game that puts them in the drawing for the Big Shot.
   
4. You agree to subscribe to both the princess group and the princess blog immediately upon acceptance into the tour. You also agree to check the FAQ's on the princess blog for an answer to your question before you email your PA (personal assistant).
5. You agree to respond to your PA's weekly email, which you will receive every Friday for 6 weeks prior to launch, and you understand that failure to respond to these emails will result in being dropped from the tour. Again, while we understand emergency situations, we cannot change the rules. If you do not respond by the Thursday before the second Friday email is scheduled, you will be dropped from the tour, no exceptions. If you have a true emergency, you will be dropped without prejudice, which means you can apply for the next tour.
   
6. You understand that when you receive emails from anyone on the committee that are marked "ADMIN" and/or have a red exclamation point, you will know this is important information and must be read. You agree to put important committee names in your contact list so their emails do not end up in your Spam folder.
   
7. IMPORTANT: You understand that you will be required to upload your posts for the tour one week prior to launch. If you do not have your posts up by 9:00 p.m. EST, you will be dropped from the tour. There are no exceptions to this rule. You will have five weeks to prepare your project, so there will be plenty of time for you to make your art as long as you don't wait until the last minute.
8. You agree to have your CT post an advertisement in the top right sidebar of your blog with a link back to this blog. This post will go up right after you sign up for the tour. It will have a special crown, identifying you as a princess on the tour. You further agree to keep the post in this spot until the end of the tour.
   
9. You understand you will not be assigned your Tour or Castle until just before we launch the tour. Your CT will load your headers and footers for you the night before the tour launches. You understand you will go live with your post the night before the tour, right after your headers and footers are launched.
   
10. You agree to give your CT access to your blog. There are no exceptions to this rule. If you are unwilling to give your CT access, we totally understand. However, anyone unwilling to grant this access will not be accepted into the tour. We suggest changing your password temporarily so that your CT will only have access to your blog at certain times, and then you can change it back to your permanent password
11. Your PA and CT are there to assist you and to answer your questions. Please be considerate of their time by not asking them questions that have already been answered in FAQ's or general emails. Remember, they are doing volunteer work, and they have jobs and their own SU business to run.
12. You agree to put up a minimum of two and a maximum of six PHOTOS of your projects. For example, if you make six different projects, you can only put up six photos in total, one of each project. If you make two different projects, you can put up six photos showing different angles of your two projects. You cannot put up six photos for each of six projects, for a total of 36 photos! We don't want this be like Gilligan's Island that started out as a 3-hour tour ~ and you know how that ended! :)
    

We hope this outlines how our tour works. It may seem like a lot of rules and regulations, but believe me, it works smoothly and for the benefit of all when everyone follows this outline. Our tour is well-known and widely publicized, so if you're on our tour, your blog will be seen. It is also a great boost to your business to have your customers join you on the tour.

Keep posted to this blog for further information on the next tour!

How Difficult Is It For People To Contact You?

by Lucia Kaiser, Royal Blog Tour President

That's her in red amidst her husband and four children

Today, I followed a link to a blog that contained the most beautiful cards and great tutorials. "Wow", I thought, "I want to keep up with this blog." So I began to search the blog for contact and subscription information. Down I scrolled past all the beautiful cards, the informative instructions, and now I'm getting more excited about subscribing. Where oh where is the subscription information? Finally, at the bottom of the page in light, barely discernible, tiny letters are the words "Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)". Not only were the words tiny and at the very bottom of the page, they almost disappeared into the background color of the page.

Where Is Your Subscription and Contact Information?

Now, if you want your blog to be your own private spot to store your creations, then this type of subscription notice will work great for you because no one will ever subscribe to your blog! I wanted to subscribe, and I finally stopped trying because I couldn't spend anymore time figuring out how to do so!

So what's the lesson here? Where is your subscription and contact information on your blog? Do your viewers think your blog is a WOW? If they do, they'll want to follow you. When people follow you, it enhances your online profile. Make it easy for them by making subscription and contact information readily apparent. When viewing a page, people's eyes are naturally first drawn to the top left and bottom right. Put your subscription contact in the top left sidebar of your blog. This was a problem for the blog I was viewing because she only had a two-column blog. The first thing I would recommend to her is to change to a three-column blog. Julie Semones article on "Why a Blog" gives a link for instructions on how to do this. Be sure to read this article, which has been posted on this blog.

Do People Know Where You Live?

Today, people worry (and with good reason) about maintaining and securing information on the Internet. There was a classic exchange on the TV show "Frasier" that still makes me laugh out loud when I remember it.

Frasier and Niles Crane decided to open an exclusive restaurant. As their practical-minded father listened, the sometimes officious-sounding brothers started brainstorming:

Frasier: "We'll call it Frères Crain"

Niles: "Our phone number will be unlisted"

Frasier: "You have to have an invitation to dine there"

The conversation goes on with more ridiculous ideas about how to make the restaurant exclusive until their father finally chimes in (and this is where I ROFL)

Martin: "Maybe you can have snipers on the roof to shoot them as they come in!"

My point is, if you want your blog to attract new customers and recruits, people have to know the area where you live. Check out the left sidebar of my blog http://scrappingalong.blogspot.com. It tells people I'm located on Cape Cod. It gives them my email address AND my phone number. Sure, you'll find that information on my banner, but remember, people's eyes are drawn to the top left and bottom right of a page - not up to the top of a banner! In fact, that banner probably only gets a cursory look if it has a pleasing design. Very few people will look beyond all my scrolls and flowers to seek out my information. Even I sometimes forget it's there! To see other examples of good placement, look at Mary Fish's blog at http://www.stampinpretty.com/ and notice the placement of contact information on her site.

Tell people where you live!

You don't have to give them your street address or the combination to your safe deposit box. Just give them the general area where you operate your business. "My business is located in the San Francisco area", or "Find me on Florida's West Coast in the town of Venice."

Tell people your name!

There is nothing more frustrating to me personally as when I get a request to join the Blog Tour group, and all I find is an email address! Are you in the witness protection program? If you are unwilling to give out your first and last name, you shouldn't be in business. If you're that afraid of giving out your name, than use a pseudonym, an alias, a nom de plume, an AKA, but don't act as though your name is on a Wanted Poster!

Give them your phone number and email address:

I have what I call my "Craft Room" phone number. It is a second line in my home that I use for business. My home phone number is unlisted, and I don't give it out. I have more than one business and this line is something I've had for many years. If you don't want the expense of a second line, you can get something called "Ring Mate" which is a second number for your phone line. It isn't very expensive, and it is a good alternative to having a business line. It has a different ring than your primary line. You can give out this number instead of your home phone number. You can even list this number in the phone book and keep the other number unlisted.

I hope this article will be of value to you, and you'll find people contacting you and following your blog with these few, simple suggestions.

Why a Blog?? By Julie Semones

Julie Semones

Web, Blog and Banner Designer

Computer Tech for the Royal Blog Tour

I’m sure you’ve asked yourself the above question many times. I hope that in this article, I’ll be able to answer the question, and give you more information than you’ve ever wanted to know about blogs…no geek speak*, all simple English!

Is a blog better than a website? Is a blog better than Facebook? Is a blog better than Twitter? Personally speaking I would have to say yes to all three. While a blog can use a domain name and become your website, you are more apt to update it daily; with a website you’d probably do the initial design, add a few items and forget it. Facebook is definitely a networking outlet. For myself, I have found many old friends and new customers; however, I don’t advertise of a lot my business this way. Twitter is VERY limiting, since you can only enter 140 characters. I mean, seriously, how much can you really say with 140 characters?

Which blog is better to use? I am not going to say that one is better than the other; they all have their own pros and cons. The top three blog programs are, Google’s Blogger, Wordpress (free or self hosted version), and Typepad (free or paid version). On all three, you can have your own domain name for your blog address. Blogger unfortunately, is a little more difficult to change, you need to be able to have access to your CNAME** through a hosting company; and so far, I have not been able to find one that can do that. I know they are out there, I’ve just not seen them. Wordpress can be free when hosted through a web hosting company if it is provided software. You can also get a free blog through Wordpress, but your blog address would appear like: http://username.wordpress.com . You can add a domain name to your free Wordpress account, but it will cost you around $25 per year to do that. Typepad is the third of the blogging programs. Unfortunately, this is the blogging outlet that I don’t know much about. I know they have different pricing structures, and depending on those prices, the software will allow you to either have just a basic blog, or you can design one yourself to fit your needs.

Blogger has a pretty decent template selection. The most customizable template is Minima. If you search the net, you will find that there are tutorials that will allow you to change your 2 column blog to 3 columns, giving you 2 sidebars and the main section for posting. (The blog that gives the tutorial is http://www.threecolumnblogger.com/)

Wordpress, whether it is the free version or the self hosted version, allows you to download new templates through their websitewww.wordpress.org. Uploading the templates and installing them is very easy. In the free version of Wordpress, the dashboard will give you statistics of your blog, and the ability to approve/disapprove/mark as spam comments that are left. There are charges for upgrading specific elements of this Wordpress, such as custom CSS***, adding more space to your blog, (you can add an addition 5Gig to 25Gig of space), removal of advertising, and the ability to have videos on your blog. Each of the upgrades is charged yearly via PayPal.

Self Hosted Wordpress is much more customizable. You can change your CSS, giving you custom colors, header, and more. You can have new templates designed for you and uploaded through the dashboard. There are add-ons that can be added to give you more options to add to your blog.

Let’s look at the gadgets/widgets that are used within the blog software. Blogger has a lot of different gadgets that are basics such as “HTML/Java“, “Followers“, “Search Box“, “Text“, “Picture“, “Slideshow“, and more…there are other more popular gadgets, such as “Recent Comments“, “Blogger Play“ (real-time slideshows), “YouTube gadget“, or a “Count Down“ to your special event. To use any of these gadgets, you simply need to click the “Add a Gadget“ button and a separate window will open, displaying the different Gadgets. When you find one you like, click the + sign next to the title, then another window will open; you can then add text or whatever needs to be done to make the gadget work on your blog. Click the save button, and you’re done.

In Wordpress (any version), if you click on the “dashboard“, then “appearance“, you’ll see your widget section. If you click that button, you will see the available widgets. Self Hosted Wordpress blogs will have fewer widgets downloaded; however, you can find and install widgets from the www.wordpress.org website.

Again, Typepad is foreign to me, so I won’t comment here on what is or isn’t available. Information about Typepad will be in another article written by one of our Computer Techs familiar with this program.

Once you’ve determined which blogging software you’re going to use, you need to figure out if you are going to use just the “canned” templates that come with the blog you’ve chosen, or if you are going to seek out someone to design it for you. There are many designers out there, and most offer very reasonable rates. Several also offer a discount to Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators, so be sure to ask! As a web/blog/banner designer myself, I am one of those who offer a full range of blog services.

After you decide on the design of your blog, you need to decide what you’re going to put into your blog. For most of us, we’re using it in addition to our DBWS. You will want to include information for your customers, such as upcoming specials, current catalogs/minis, or class schedules. Many demonstrators will use their blog to showcase cards they’ve made in challenges, or they’ll use the blog for a blog tour, such as the Royal Blog Tour that just took place. We use blogs as a tool to draw more people to the world of card making/scrapbooking. Potential customers can found through your blog if you advertise correctly. There are many ways of doing that, but the easiest is to add a link to the signature in your email. Think of the number of people you send emails to on a daily basis. The emails you send COULD be going to perspective customers or even recruits. And don’t forget to clearly show your contact information on your blog. You can draw people to your blog in a variety of ways, but if they can’t find your contact information, it will all be for nothing!

In the end, how you start a blog, what design you choose, and how you maintain your blog is totally up to you. Just remember, for a blog to work and work well, you should try to upload/post something new every day. Add a counter to you blog so you can see how many visitors you are getting. Be sure to send notes to the people who have left comments on your blog. Again, you never know if that person commenting is a perspective customer or not.

I hope this article has helped sort out the blog world for you. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me (inkedujour@gmail.com). Better yet, ask your questions on the SU Blog Tour Group message board, and then everyone can benefit from the answers!

*Note from Lucia: These geeks don’t even know when they’re speaking geek! LOL! I asked Julie for definitions of some the words in this article. Here is her response:

“I said no Geek Speak, but here goes” J

**A CNAME record or Canonical Name record is a type of resource record in the Domain Name System (DNS) that specifies that the domain name is an alias of another, canonical domain name.

***CSS is cascading style sheet

Mary Waring is Putting Her New Big Shot to Use!

Here's the note we received from Mary along with one of the creations she made using her new Big Shot. Beautiful card, Mary.

Dear Blythe, Lucia, and all the Royal Blog Tour Princesses:

I want to tell you again what fun I had visiting all the castles on the Royal Blog Tour. I never dreamed I would win the Big Shot, I was just enjoying visiting the castles, seeing everyone's wonderful creations, and searching out clues. Attached is my first creation using the Big Shot -- a (virtual) thank you for all of you. It uses the Top Note and the Large Dots Texturz Plate. Hope to see you again on the next Tour! THANK YOU. - Mary.

Looking for the Next Blog Tour?

Yes, there is another Royal Blog Tour coming. There will be four tours with 12 Castles on each tour for a total of 48 castles. We are preparing for it now, and we'll announce the dates soon. In the meantime, join the SU Blog Tour Group so you will have advance notice of enrollment. And subscribe to this blog for updated information!

Our Blog Tour Big Shot Winner

Here's the note Blythe Kipple received from Mary Waring:

Blythe,

The Big Shot came today. Wow -- that was fast! I've unpacked it and cleared a space for it. I ordered some die last week so as soon as they arrive, I'll be ready to start creating. Thank you and the Royal Tour Blog!

Mary

You are welcome, Mary. Please enjoy your Big Shot and don't forget to send us pictures of your creations!

NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEXT ROYAL BLOG TOUR

First, I want to thank all the wonderful princesses who worked so hard to present some incredible art for our viewing pleasure. We are blessed to have so many women who serve as inspiration for us.

Second, I have to stand up and cheer for the team who worked so diligently behind the scenes to make this tour come together. The logistics of this tour were staggering - 80 blogs! If you thought that was a lot of blogs to view, try organizing them! My team is an incredible group of women who have my back at every turn, and I am so privileged and grateful to call them friends.

Now for some new information about our future blog. We have not set a date for the new blog, but we do have some changes already in place. Many of you expressed what we were already thinking - 80 blogs is way too much to take in at one time. As much as we want to give everyone a chance to be on the tour, it is simply too large an undertaking to give the quality attention it deserves. Therefore, the next tour will feature four blogs with 12 castles. That is a total of 48 castles, a little more than half the number on the last tour. We think that number, presented over a three-day period, will give everyone ample time to enjoy the tour at a leisurely pace.

With only 48 spots available, there will probably be a scramble for spots. If you want to be on the tour and have advance notice of the next tour, the best thing for you to do is join the SU Blog Tour Yahoo group. You can join the group by clicking on the silver crown on the right side bar. The blog tour group will be given a two-day advance notice of the next tour, which means members will have a two-day lead to apply for a castle. The fee remains $15, with a $5 rebate if you complete the tour.

I will say, many of you had great fun with the royal theme. Some of you even made comments in Medieval speak! Some of you thought it was pretty silly, but since this is called The Royal Blog Tour, all I can say is, "loosen your corset and join the fun"! Future tours will feature princesses, castles and glass slippers because no matter how much a woman denies it, there will always be a little girl inside who wants to be fairy Princess!

Meet Mary Waring, Winner of the Big Shot by Angi Anderson

Congrats on winning the Big Shot, how exciting!

As the director of the PR committee, I would like to ask you a few questions...

Have you ever purchased Stampin' Up! Merchandise?
Yes, since 2003, I've regularly purchased SU! products, and I use SU! almost exclusively. I love being able to get ink, paper, ribbon, and accessories that all coordinate!

Do you have a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator?
My SU! demo is Karen Kurz.

How did you find out about the blog tour?
I followed a link from splitcoaststampers.com.

What is the most exciting thing about winning the Big Shot?
I've been dreaming about having one, and now I will! I'm thinking about all the possibilities of things to create with it!

Do you have any creative projects in mind already?
Yes, I love all the boxes and containers that can be made with the Big Shot, and I've seen lots of samples in the splitcoaststampers gallery that I'd love to CASE.

Please tell us what you enjoyed about the tour
This is the second blog tour I've taken -- the previous one was to say "goodbye" to the retiring stamp sets. I love seeing all the creative ideas and getting ideas for things I can CASE.

Do you have any suggestions for improving our next tour?
Well this one was hard with 80 castles, but then that was the idea after all -- to make it a challenge. Both blog tours I took were lots of fun. Fortunately I got on this tour after the Jester stopped making mischief so all the links worked

Meet Britiney Slaughter

This next princess I am about to introduce has more talent in her little finger than I do in my entire body. If you stopped to visit her blog during the tour you know exactly what I am talking about. Let's learn a bit more about Britiney!

How long have you been stamping? I started stamping about 6 years ago when my sister in law got out her stamping supplies and invited me to make Christmas cards with her. The rest, as they say, is history!

Do you have any other hobbies besides stamping? I like scrapbooking, including digital scrapbooking, quilting, crocheting, and cooking.

How long have you been with SU? I signed up as a demo 5 years ago in August.

Do you want to share anything about your family with us? I'm a SAHM with 3 little boys ages 9, 7, and 4. They're such a joy and such a challenge!!

What is your favorite SU color? Real Red

What is your favorite stamping technique? Probably embossing

Is there any part of stamping or creating that you wish you knew more about? I wish I had a better eye for design. I CASE a lot of my creations from other talented stampers.
What inspires you? or Where do you find inspiration? I find inspiration from so many other stampers and their blogs. If I'm looking for something specific I know I can always find inspiration on Stampin' Addicts and Splitcoast.

Are there other designers whose work you admire? Oh gosh! There are so many! I would have to say Dawn McVey, Becky Carafa, Angie Tieman, Deb at ARTfelt Impressions, and Silke Ledlow are a few that come to mind off the top of my head. My Google Reader is overflowing with amazing stamping blogs!

Tell us about a time you lost your mojo and perhaps what helped you get it back? I'm always inspired to be creative when I see what others have done. That and getting a new SU! catalog!

Do you have any stamping secrets you would like to share with us? I always tell my customers that there's no stress in stamping. If you're stressed you need to let someone help you! That's what I'm here for!

If you would like to see more of Britiney's amazing work make sure you visit her blog!

Meet Susan Shields

I'm pleased to introduce Susan Shields. Not only is she a talented artist, but she is also one of the Royal Blog Tour Queens. Read more about her below.
How long have you been stamping?

I was first introduced to stamping about 15 years ago, but didn't get seriously "hooked" until about 5 years ago.

Do you have any other hobbies besides stamping?

Yes, I love crafts of all kinds, cooking, and everything outdoors.

How long have you been with SU?

I've been a demo since SAB 08

Do you want to share anything about your family with us?

I'm a mother of six amazing children and grandmother of 4. My family is my number one priority, and we get together often for BBQ's, birthday celebrations, and just to hang out! We are very close and help each other out a lot!

What is your favorite SU! Color?

My favorite color is Blue, so I would have to pick Brilliant Blue. My kitchen is painted very close to that color, with white cabinets. Blue makes me happy!

What is your favorite stamping technique?

I love the aged or vintage look you get with "distressing" your edges.

Is there any part of stamping or creating that you wish you knew more about?

There is so much to learn about stamping, I think that's why I enjoy it so much. There is no limit to what you can learn and make! I am constantly in awe of what others are coming up with and love to learn new techniques.

What inspires you? Or Where do you find inspiration?

I mostly find my inspiration in the beautiful cards made by other stampers and shared on their blogs, Splitcoaststampers, Yahoo groups, and SU's stampers showcase.

Are there other designers whose work you admire?

Absolutely! That list is way too long to share here, but I try to look at everyone's work to find something I can learn.

Tell us about a time you lost your mojo and perhaps what helped you get it back?

While away on summer vacation I found that being away from my stamps, and my computer was very difficult, but when I first pick up a stamp in my hand, it all comes back to me! What helps me most is participating in sketch challenges because a lot of the decision making is already made!

Do you have any stamping secrets you would like to share with us?

I wouldn't say it's a secret, but what works for me when something is just not flowing or going together, before I get frustrated, I just walk away from that project for a while and do something else. Usually I can come back to my stamping area and finish it once I'm refreshed.

If you would like to see more of Susan's wonderful creations, make sure you stop by her blog: http://www.createdwithlovebysusan.blogspot.com

Meet Heidi Michel, Blog Queen, Tour Coordinator

This next princess is also one of Royal Blog Tour Queens. Not only did she participate in the tour, but she was one of our Tour Coordinator. Her job was to help a whole other set of people participate as well. Without her assistance the tour would not have gone as smoothly as it did.

• How long have you been stamping? I have been stamping for 6 years now and with Stampin’ Up for almost 2 years. This is my 2^nd time around and I am here to stay.
• Where are you from? I was born, raised and am still planted in Northeast Ohio. There’s nothing like OHIO weather!!
• Do you have any other hobbies besides stamping? I am a Miche Bag rep that I do on the side. Gardening, any type of crafting I love to try.
• How long have you been with SU? Coming up on 2 years in September
• Do you want to share anything about your family with us? I am happily married to my high school sweetheart, Doug, and together we have 3 beautiful children, Dalton (11), Hannah (8 1/2 ) and Hunter (6 1/2 ) We have 2 dogs and 2 guinea pigs. I think my children are my biggest fans, they are always complimenting on my creations and my husband shows me off whenever he can to his friends. So I am very blessed that my family loves what I do also.
• What is your favorite SU color? In Color would be Mambo Melon and regular color would be Regal Rose.
• What is your favorite stamping technique? I LOVE the popping pastels technique. And honestly anything embossing.
• Is there any part of stamping or creating that you wish you knew more about? I wish I could get myself to learn more techniques. And color combos is another tough one for me.
• What inspires you? or Where do you find inspiration? My team inspires me more than they think they do. They are always going out of the box, which is sometimes hard for me and I love it. I also find inspiration though many of the blogs that I have on my computer and I tend to get lost in looking at all the blogs.
• Are there other designers whose work you admire? I love Sandi MacIver, Heather Summers, Patty Bennett and Dawn Griffith’s designs.
• Tell us about a time you lost your mojo and perhaps what helped you get it back?[] I lost my mojo when I broke my wrist this past Christmas, I was trying to do everything I could to keep everything going but it was so hard with one hand. I had to give up a lot of stamping things that I loved, but once my cast was off (13 weeks later) I have given it my all again and am trying to build back up my customer base and my business.
• Do you have any stampin secrets you would like to share with us? I believe in you!! No matter how bad YOU think your creation is, you have to keep going, keep learning and know that you too will grow up to be an awesome stamper. For some its natural, for some its baby steps. Keep stepping forward!!
• Make sure you stop and check out Heidi's blog at http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/heartfeltblessings/. You'll be even more amazed at her remarkable talent.
  

Meet Amanda Coughlin

The next princess I would like to introduce is not only a creative stamper, but also a traveler. What makes Amanda Coughlin so interesting, is that she has traveled on Stampin' Up!'s dime nine times! Want to learn more? Read her interview below.

How long have you been stamping?

15 years

Do you have any other hobbies besides stamping?

Photography, scrapbooking, travel

How long have you been with SU?

10 years and I've earned 9 SU! Incentive trips out of 10.

Do you want to share anything about your family with us?

Married 17 years to my best friend Patrick. We have no children unless you count my stamp team mascot Poobie (a stuffed bear) and my cat Sweetie who likes to be in the middle of all my stamping events activites including stealing my customers seats! :o)

What is your favorite SU color?

It changes week to week! :o) Right now I'm really digging our new Rich Razzleberry.

What is your favorite stamping technique?

I love the oldie but goodie two-step stamping!! Of course, I try all the new techniques that come out and share them with my customers and downline but there's just something about the two-tone effect of those 2-step stamping sets that makes your art come alive!

Is there any part of stamping or creating that you wish you knew more about?

I am a new idea scout. I'm constantly looking for the latest technique or projects and thrive on learning anything new!

What inspires you? or Where do you find inspiration?

I'm inspired by so many things! I love it when a customer tweaks something on one of my projects to make it better (I call them on it by saying "there you go again--showing up the teacher! Are you sure you don't want to be a demonstrator?" ) or when my downline comes over with something cool they've done! I also find a lot of inspiration from new products--the latest being our Big Shot dies--as I'm always trying to find a way to use them outside the box!

Are there other designers whose work you admire?

I admire and aspire to the work of way too many SU! demonstrators who openly share their art on blogs and e-groups like SudSol, Technique Junkies or Splitcoast Stampers, to name them all!

Tell us about a time you lost your mojo and perhaps what helped you get it back? I recently became mired in "stinkin' thinkin'" and became a negative Nelly. And each time this has happened to me in my 10 years as a SU! demo, I write a letter to SU!. Sometimes I send them--sometimes I burn them! And then I remind myself how much I love SU! product and get to stampin' again. I recently received great advice from one of my SU! friends. She challenged me to take two weeks off when the new catalog was released to just stamp and plan your workshops and classes. I couldn't believe how much stamping I was able to get done and how inspiring it was! Instead of starting and stopping my creativity, I was able to stay in creative mode for two weeks. I was focused and able to create great artwork in a shorter period of time! And I still had a fantastic sales month this month! Now I am almost three months ahead of the game and can work much more efficiently into the future instead of reactively! Another time I'd lost my mojo, I decided I wasn't going to worry about the "business" of stamping and just enjoy the "journey" of stamping. At the time, a stamping publication was searching for rub-ons projects and I took the challenge and submitted my work! Holy cow! There's nothing more exciting than being published in a national magazine. That'll get you your mojo back! :o)

Do you have any stamping secrets you would like to share with us?

Are you kidding me? I couldn't keep a stamping secret to myself! That's blasphemy and against the Statement of the Heart! Shame on you for asking! :o)

If you would like to see more of Amanda's wonderful creations, make sure you stop by her blog http://www.stampvamps.com/.

Meet Lori Stiger

We had so many Princesses to feature before the Royal Blog Tour that we ran out of time. Now that you have seen their amazing artwork during the tour, find out a little more about them.
Lori Stiger is one of the Princesses who has been kind enough to wait for her moment in the spotlight. An experienced stamper, she believes that if you aren’t having fun while you stamp, you must be doing it wrong!

How long have you been stamping?

About 10 years, I guess!


Do you have any other hobbies besides stamping?

I love to read! I also love to bake, but I don't do that so much anymore - no one at my house can eat my favorite concoctions. :D

How long have you been with SU?

Eight years!

Do you want to share anything about your family with us?

I have a wonderful, loving, supportive husband of almost-13 years, Kenn. We have a photography business IRL, with him doing most of the work. He lets me work on my Stampin' Up! business, which is what makes me happiest. :D We share a house with my parents, who turned the downstairs great room into my office/studio. It's a wonderful place to craft - many of my customers call coming to stamp their "therapy"! :D I am so truly blessed!

What is your favorite SU color?

Oh, dear, are you REALLY going to make me choose one?!?!? I guess I'd have to put Bordering Blue right up there at the top; my bedroom is painted in the color, and it's SUCH a restful color! But there are SO many great ones - like the new IN COLORS! OK. It's official. I'm NOT choosing one. :D


What is your favorite stamping technique?

I'd have to say heat embossing. It's ALWAYS a "wow" look, and new stampers are SO thrilled that they can make something that looks so special, so EASILY!

Is there any part of stamping or creating that you wish you knew more about?

Gosh, I wish I could *always* turn out something that people clamor for directions for! :D I've taught myself everything I know.


What inspires you? or Where do you find inspiration?

That's a hard one. I really don't like to copy - I get bored! I realize that I'm a rarity, however. :D I guess through things I see from other people, and from the outdoors - my studio opens onto our sun porch, and my parents' great garden. :)

Are there other designers whose work you admire?

There are SO MANY!! I know I'd fail to list them all, but there are four I just have to say out loud. :D Amy Celona, Gretchen Barron, Connie Babbert, and Lisa Somerville. Their style is a lot more detail-oriented than mine, and I just am blown away every time I go look at their creations!


Tell us about a time you lost your mojo and perhaps what helped you get it back?

:) It comes and goes, doesn't it?? When I'm having trouble, I'll peruse a file I keep on my computer called POSSIBLE CASE CARDS. :D If THAT doesn't work, I look at galleries on different websites, until I find something that sparks me - a new color combination, something stamped a different way or "outside the box".


Do you have any stamping secrets you would like to share with us?

I don't think it's a secret, but it ALWAYS bears repeating: There aren't any fatal mistakes in stamping, just opportunities for embellishments. :D Don't be afraid to try something different; as I tell my customers, it's JUST card stock. There's more available - if you're not having fun while stamping, you're definitely holding the stamp the wrong way. :D

To hear some more words of wisdom from Lori, as well as get some great ideas for CASEing visit her blog at http://www.poohisstamping.blogspot.com/

The Winner of the Blog Tour Big Shot from Stampin' Up!

The Queen and her Royal subjects sincerely wish that each and everyone who entered the contest could win the Royal Prize. However, there can be only one. And the Winner is

Mary Waring of Albuquerque, NM

The winner was selected at random from all the entries received.

We hope you enjoyed the tour. The Queen has put the Jester in the Dungeon for all the mischief he has caused throughout the tour. Rumor has it that auditions for a new jester will begin soon.

In the meantime if you wish to visit the blogs on this tour, all 79 are list in the right side bar.

Thank you, all for participating. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we have.

Sincerely,

The Court of the Royal Blog Tour

BIG SHOT WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED TOMORROW MORNING!

After all the problems with the clues (darn that court jester), we seem to be getting your entries without a problem. This tour will shut down at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday morning, WEST COAST TIME. Entries for the Big Shot drawing will be closed at midnight in each time zone.

Please check the Royal Blog Tour home page tomorrow morning. I'm letting the Computer Coordinators sleep in, so I'm not exactly sure at what time the winner will be posted except it will be sometime before 12 Noon.

For individual Blog Candy winners, please check back to the individual Castles. Each Princess with an asterisk next to her name will post her own winners in her Castle announcements.

Court Jester takes over the TOUR!

The mischievous court jester would like to PLAY with the Queens' Royal Blog Tour. He is a silly, silly and twisted individual who isn’t always “funny”. Last night he plotted to take over the tour and turn things UPSIDE Down and backwards. To see what the Royal thorn in the queens side has done, Click on the Jester! You may have some FUN!

Please SCROLL DOWN for information on the NORMAL TOUR & Big Shot BLOG Candy!

Welcome to The Late Night Stamper's Royal Blog Tour!

Thy carrage awaits thee to depart on the Royal Blog Tour. Which one of the four paths will thee take? By royal decree, thee have been given three days in which to enjoy 79* different castles prepared especially for thy enjoyment. Along the way, thee will find important clues; thee will want to inscribe on thy parchment each of the 20 clues scattered among the castles on the four paths. When thy carriage has taken thee along all four paths, and thee hath gathered the 20 clues among the paths, thee must return to the Royal Blog Tour Home Castle. There thee will be asked to return the clues to the Royal Blog Tour High Queen. If thee returneth all the clues to the Queen correctly, thy name will be entered by the Castle Scribe. After the Royal Blog Tour has ended, the scribe will record thy name into a royal drawing for a Big Shot Die Cut Machine! Look carefully through each castle where thy coach arriveth as the clues can be found only in certain castles. Once thee hath traveled all the paths, bid thy coachman to return to the Royal Blog Home Castle. The Queen awaits thy answers there!

Pick thy path, many beautiful castles await thee.

By Royal Decree, the participant in the Queens contest for the Big Shot must meet the following criteria.

- Thee must be a Stampin’ Up! Customer and not a Demonstrator.
- Thee must live in a country that Stampin’ Up! currently sells the Big Shot
- Thee must type in all 20 clues

The Queen has bid four of her beautiful daughters to help Thee find the clues. Wherever these princesses are seen, a clue awaits thee.

If you are ready, click on the Royal Scribe to enter your clues. The lords and ladies of the castles wish you the best of luck!

HELP: Need help, email Marie Aviza at marie@stampthings.com

*Due to a last-minute removal, there are only 79 castles in this tour. However, there are still 20 clues. Some of the clues went missing, but we think we've found them (ironic, huh?). We are working hard to resolve these issues, and we appreciate all who have made us aware of problems.

START THE ROYAL BLOG TOUR HERE ON SUNDAY, JULY 26TH!

The Royal Blog Tour is three days long, and you'll be happy it is! There are four tours - a total of 80 fabulous blogs!

But wait - there's more!

Blog Candy, Blog Candy, and more Blog Candy. Over 50% of the blogs on this tour are offering Blog Candy.

Check the Princess list on launch day. Every name with an asterisk next to it is offering blog candy.

That's not all! The Royal Blog Tour Home Page is offering their own Blog Candy. And it is -- a Big Shot Die Cut Machine!!!!

You'll have to work a bit for it as there are 20 clues that will be scattered among the 80 blogs. But won't it be worth it if you come away with a brand new Big Shot?

Here's just one example of the kind of things you can do with this wonderful machine. Don't miss your chance to enter the drawing so this ultimate Blog Candy!*

* This drawing is open to all countries represented by Princesses in this tour, including Canada and Australia!

Meet Karen Trelfa, Featured Princess

I'd love to introduce you to Karen Trelfa. Karen initially signed up with Stampin' Up! as a hobby demonstrator "just to receive the discount." So much has changed since that fateful moment!! She has such a zest and passion for teaching the art of paper crafting, that her friends cannot seem to get enough of it!

Karen says that Stampin' Up! has been the perfect creative opportinity as well as a positive force in her life! Karen spends her time commuting between her summer and winter homes in Michigan and Florida and has active stamp groups in both location.
A recipient of the prestigious Founders' Circle Award 2008, Karen also earned her first all-expense paid trip to Hawaii this year, and recently took the leap into the world of blogging in May 2009.

How long have you been stamping?

My first stamping experience was in October 2006

Where are you from? Michigan and Florida

Do you have any other hobbies besides stamping?I love to read. It doesn’t matter what the subject matter is but mysteries and suspense are my favorites. A good romance now and then doesn’t hurt either.Gardening is another passion. I have a pond with a creek and 2 waterfalls in the yard and the tranquility is truly enjoyed.

How long have you been with SU?I started out with SU exactly 3 weeks after I stamped my first image, it will be 3 years this fall.

Do you want to share anything about your family with us? I have a wonderful husband of 30 years. Two accomplished children and 5 ½ perfect grandchildren. Yes I said ½ , my daughter is due Christmas day with grandchild #6. We are a very tight knit family and if it wasn’t for them I

don’t think I would have ever started stamping. My daughter-in-law is the culprit behind it all. LOL

What is your favorite SU color? You misspelled that. It has an “s” at the end. My world is not singular I have many colors in it. The more the merrier.

What is your favorite stamping technique Is getting to stamp a technique? If so I’m all over it. But for real that’s a hard one.. I love to emboss because it is so elegant but yet pastels are so comforting and yet again just putting ink to paper is so much fun. You decide for me I can’t just pick one.

Is there any part of stamping or creating that you wish you knew more about? Everything. I am so new to stamping, 3 years is new in the stamping world so don’t laugh, that I learn something new all the time, but what I would like to learn more about is scrapbooking. I’ve seen some beautiful work out there and I would really like to get better at it. I am most interested in progressive type pages that can be modified to fit any size album you are working on.

What inspires you? or Where do you find inspiration? It’s everywhere. I’m a do not throw it away I can find something to use it for person so I constantly try to figure out a way to fit things into stamping. I LOVE the catalogs. They have lots of nooks and crannies.

Are there other designers whose work you admire? Well just about everyone that does the challenges on LNS. This is an awesome group that I will never want to leave.

Tell us about a time you lost your mojo and perhaps what helped you get it back? Wow how ironic. My mojo was lost this spring and this blog tour sure brought it back. After my very successful year with SU in 2008 my day job and life took its toll in my stamping. I worked so hard towards the rising star award, which I did get btw, that I to re- balance my life. That was hard. To make a decision to not stamp as much as I wanted so that the rest of my world could fit was a tough job. But after joining this tour I’ve seem to find the passion and drive again. I still work on the balance but it doesn’t seem as overwhelming now. Wow that was a hard question.

Do you have any stamping secrets you would like to share with us? Ssshhh… There’s chocolate in the stamp room

You can visit Karen's new blog at: http://stampersclub.com and be sure to join us for the Royal Blog Tour on July 26, 27, and 28th.. We've got a world of delightful surprises planned for all of you!

Submitted by: Sharon Field, PRC

Meet Sherrill Graff, Princess and Late Night Stampers "Mom"

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Sherrill Graff. Sherrill was one of the very first people to sign up to be a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator. And she loves it just as much now as she did 20 years ago. Sherrill shares her love of stamping with many online friends as well as through her many volunteer activities.

How long have you been stamping?

Shelli Gardner and her sister LaVonne lived her in Boulder City when they started Stampin Up. They were the room moms for our daughters’ kindergarten class. The first time I saw stamping was when they taught the children to stamp an insert for a mug that they filled with candy for each child. My daughter loved it so much that she wanted me to buy her some stamps for Christmas that year. Once I saw the catalog I signed up right away to get the demo discount for my purchase. Never did I know that Stampin Up would become such a big part of my life.

Do you have any other hobbies besides stamping?

I have always loved crafts, quilting, cross stitch, toile painting but nothing ever kept my interest like stamping does. I do teach religion classes for our church each morning when school is in so between family, church, stamping and teaching I don't make time for much else.

How long have you been with SU?

I have been with Stampin Up since Jan of 1991.

Do you want to share anything about your family with us?

I have a wonderful husband who puts up with my growing stamp and scrapbook collection he also encourages me to go out and sell. We have 4 children and a dear son-in-law. Our daughters both love to scrapbook as well.

What is your favorite SU color?

Tempting Turquoise

What is your favorite stamping technique?

Multilayered embossing

Is there any part of stamping or creating that you wish you knew more about?

Although I have been stamping for 18 years there is always more to learn. I am so thankful for each of you who share your talents with all of us. I enjoy learning from each of you and helping you have more stamping success.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration when I sit in my stamping room surrounded by things I love, family photos, soft uplifting music or a talk on CD. I live seeing all the images and art in our Idea Book and Catalog and on your blogs. That is why I love the LNS blog tours so much!

Are there other designers whose work you admire?

Top of my list this week would have to be these designers. http://www.sandimaciver.com/, http://stampingwithroxy.typepad.com , http://www.gretchenbarron.typepad.com/ , http://lwdesigns.blogspot.com/ , http://www.pattystamps.com/,

Tell us about a time you lost your mojo and perhaps what helped you get it back?

Some days everything I make is wonderful, some days everything I make stinks. But I figure it's only paper and who cares if I throw a few things into the recycling bin. All I have to do to get my mojo back is pray for inspiration and look at a few old Stampin’ Success magazines and I'm good to go.

Do you have any stamping secrets you would like to share with us?

One thing I try to do is to have my projects in mind before I place my order. That way I know exactly what I will need and won't buy random items just because I like them. I know when my supplies come I'll have everything I need for the projects for the month. I also qualify for hostess goodies this way because my orders are always over $150. One year I added up all the free hostess stuff and great reward items I received and it totaled 7 thousand dollars! I love this company!

Sherrill, thank you so much for sharing your time and love of stamping with all of us. Be sure to check out Sherrill’s blog http://latenightstamper1.blogspot.com/ to view some of her artwork. And be sure to check out all of the Princess blogs during our Royal Blog Tour.

Interview submitted by Stacey Carter.