Last post as a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator
February 1st, 2010
After over 6-1/2 years, when I wake up tomorrow I will officially no longer be a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator. This is something I have chosen not to talk about on my blog up until now, but honestly it has played a big part in my lack of consistent blogging in the past few months. I did NOT want to give up being a SU Demo. I have loved SU for many years – several even before I became a Demo. I love my customers. But it came down to the fact that I just could not sign the new agreement put forth to us last Fall. While I could have *technically* continued both with SU and with TE it would not have worked on any practical level and bottom line – I just could not stomach having my speech regulated on my personal blog. I had every intention of cutting the cord with my resignation letter before the end of 2009, but I found that I just couldn’t write the letter. And today was my very last chance.
This has been a very emotional thing for me. I have not wanted to badmouth SU in any way and yet I feel hurt and disappointed. I’ve heard some other Demos describing it like being asked for a divorce. Yep, I feel like I’ve been a good Demo with consistent sales who has always tried hard to abide by all the rules and now I’m being kicked to the curb. In all my time as a Demo, I’ve never even been on the pending list until this past quarter when I was locked out of the ordering system for failure to sign the IDA. “Drink the kool-aide or get out!”
I know that I must trust the Lord and be aware that He has a plan for me in all of this. Over the past few months I’ve been able to focus on that sometimes better than others. Sometimes I have felt ok and ready to move on and other times I have just been so sad. I am not someone who embraces change in general and certainly not when it goes against my preference, but the Lord has been working with me on this and I am looking to Him to help me embrace the change and look to whatever may be ahead. I know many Demos who have cleared out and sold off all of their SU product never to be touched again. I am certainly not there. I do intend to continue being a customer of SU albeit in a very limited capacity, but right now it’s just hard to stamp with SU. I just got an order of new goodies from the Mini and I’m hoping I can have some fun playing with it next week.
I am very thankful to the Demo friends I have who have helped me and are helping me to finish out the committment I have to my wonderful Club customers. And to all of my friends who are remaining Demonstrators – I want you to know that I hold no resentment toward you and I’m truly happy that you could remain unaffected by these issues. I hope you will not be upset with me for expressing my feelings here. I mean no disrespect to you.
To anyone who has ever been a customer of mine – I want you to know that I truly appreciate you. I have had a wonderful ride! I plan to continue teaching stamp classes since that’s the part of being a Demo that I loved most! My future classes will be NVR (No Vendor Restrictions) and I’m guessing that they will mostly be a combo of TE, OCL and some SU. I promise they will continue to be high quality FUN and I hope you will continue to attend. There’s a big wide wonderful stamping world out there and I now have the freedom to show it all to you! Also I will be e-mailing out info soon to all customers on my mailing list regarding some area Demos who are friends of mine so you can continue to shop SU if you’d like to.
I never got around to sharing the project we created at my December Club meeting, so now seems like the perfect time. I won’t go into a lot of detail, but we made card sets using the SU Sunny Day Scrappin’ Kit and a coordinating ribbon share. We also decorated a TE Perfect Package. I love the Sunny Day SSK and had a lot of fun creating this class. If you have questions about it, let me know.
To all of my blog readers – wow – you just have no idea what it means to me to have people reading my blog. I was stunned when several people came up to me at the SuperShow last weekend and said they knew me from reading More is More. Wow. I am so humbled. Thank you! I hope you’ll stick with me even if I’m not a SU Demo.
I have so much more to say…I could go on and on…but it’s very late and you don’t need to hear me ramble any more than you already have. I’ve got a busy week ahead. Did you know that it’s almost time for another Taylored Expressions release? Yep – this Friday…some super cute new stuff…forging ahead! 🙂
February 1st, 2010 at 12:43 am
Hugs to you Jami!
February 1st, 2010 at 5:54 am
((HUGS)) ~ there is life after SU and yours will be wonderful!! Hang in there! 🙂
February 1st, 2010 at 6:00 am
Great big hug for you, Jami!
February 1st, 2010 at 6:42 am
You’ll be ok. You do such amazing work. I will really miss your swaps. When I didn’t hear from you for the latest mini catty, I figured you’d already resigned. Yours were the only swaps I participated in because you held us swappers to the line and made it fun.
I’ll continue to read your blog. Keep on stamping, Jami!
Sharon
February 1st, 2010 at 8:15 am
Jami,
I know that without SU, I never would’ve met you, and even though we don’t live far away and our churches are connected by friends that we both know..it would’ve been sad that we never could call each other friends without stamping!
I look at my ventures of stamping and Stampin’ Up! as my foot in the door to meet and share what we love. And although it has created some rifts with ideology, it isn’t the end of the world!
Hugs to you and to whatever path God leads you…
Dianne
February 1st, 2010 at 10:27 am
It is SU’s loss and I think that there have been many others just like you, but you made a personal decision and I think that we (all your fans) totally understand and respect that. I really like the “NVR” concept and I think that it will really catch on as more and more of us find that we can’t live with companies (like SU) that don’t deal well with competition. It is a big, beautiful, creative world out there and it is welcoming you with open arms and an open heart! I just know that you will have success whichever direction your creative instincts lead you. Hugs! ~chris
February 1st, 2010 at 11:01 am
You are one of many ultra-talented demonstrators who has had to make this choice. I understand why, that much talent can’t be restricted like this.
I am not even close to as talented as you and I often feel restricted. I see cool techniques in the amazing “Technique Junkies Newsletter” but have to ignore them because SU! doesn’t have the products to do it. Frustrating to the max.
The rubber stamping world is so much bigger than Stampin’ Up. It is interesting to note that some of these new small companies started up because they saw the opportunities that Stampin’ Up blew. For example, sentiment stamp sets that work perfectly with the punches.
I know you will succeed in what ever you do.
February 1st, 2010 at 11:43 am
You will be better then ever because you stuck by your principles. Besides, the best dishes always has a verity of ingredinents from ALL over not just one source !!! <3
February 1st, 2010 at 4:28 pm
{{Jami}}
February 1st, 2010 at 7:26 pm
I love SU! but also love all the other goodies out there. IMO opinion, SU! blundered and will find that to be the case soon…but that said…I still love their “stuff” and will continue to buy and shop…whereever my fancy suits me. HUGS!
February 1st, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Big Hug!!!
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:05 am
Jami,
I know that this has been difficult “at best” for you. Please know that I truly understand, and that I’m behind you 100% …. I know that I’m certainly not alone in that.
Move forward as God leads you to do ….. You can’t go wrong when you’re following in His path.
((((Hugs)))
Tex
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:13 am
Jami
I admire your integrity. I agree completely with your feelings about the SU agreement. It is not one that I could have signed.
It’s a big wide world out there – and with God on your side – blessings will folow!
hugs!
Deborah
February 2nd, 2010 at 6:33 am
Awww, Jami…you’ll be great no matter what you do because you depend on God…He’ll move you through this and there will be so many venues for you to experience! I’m one of those who came up to you at CHA! It was such a pleasure to meet your bright, shining face “up close”. I used to be an SU demo also, but just a “hobby” person…couldn’t afford to keep up with their quota plus buy all the other products I love, so had to let it go….anyway, I’ll be watching for your posts and praying for you…Love, Susan
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:18 am
Hi Jami, I don’t comment often but felt the need to this time. Thanks for sharing what you did today and how difficult the decision was for you. You’re not the first blogger I follow to do so. And from every one of these ladies, there seems to be a lot of hurt. I’m so sorry. Trust God as the healer to take your hurt away. You know that HE can. I’ll continue to follow your blog. 🙂
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:52 am
I can respect your decision just as well as I can accept SU’s! We all need to make choices for ourselves, whether we be individuals or companies. Change is hard, believe me I’ve had lots of change the last year (from having a house fire and being displaced for 7 months, to my DH being diagnosed with cancer) and although I didn’t want to go through it, I wouldn’t trade what the Lord has taught me for anything. I’m sure the Lord has many wonderful things to teach you in the new path you’ve chosen. May He richly bless you in your new path. I will still look to your blog for great inspiration. Thanks so much and many blessings to you.
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Hi Jami: I know exactly how you feel, I love SU and their papers, inks & accessories but have been let down by the new catty for the past few years. It just seems to be the same old stuff, nothing new, exciting or even vaguely cute. I love so many of the new stamp companies out there and do buy their product for my personal use. I do know what a hard decision that was for you. You’ve made a ton of friends through SU but so many more now with your blog. You will have a blast using all the fabulous new stuff out there any time you want and share it with the rest of us. I wish you a lot of happiness and success in your new found freedom to create. It was nice seeing you at CHA and hope to see you again, hugs Rose Kerry
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Hey love, Yep, I’m in exactly the same boat. You expressed my feelings so eloquently. Like you I’ve never been even close to pending and have built a wonderful business. But, Sunday I placed my last order ever. Wow, that felt weird. And it feels weird to not be a demonstrator. The good news is that I’ve had a blast with the NVR – rediscovering paper crafting all over again. The bad news . . . it breaks my heart every time I post something non-SU and someone unsubscribes to my blog. I’m not about the numbers, it just makes me feel like I’ve lost another and another and another friend. And, I know my SU friends won’t be able to hang with me like we used to. It’s the lost relationships I hate most about this. So, girl, us ex’s got to stick together. Hugs!
February 2nd, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Jami, major ((hugs)) to you. I’m so glad you stuck to your principles and you will be rewarded by the Lord for that. As I’ve said before, I just wish I lived closer so I could attend one of your classes since they look like so much fun and I’m sure your NVR classes are going to be a blast as well. I continue to look forward to see what the Lord has for you in the days ahead.
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:00 am
BIG BIG HUGS, Jami! I know how hard it is to let SU go.
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:24 pm
I know just how hard this decision was for you but I have no doubt there are many amazing things waiting just around the corner. You’ve always been faithful to your principals and the leading of the Lord and He’ll never let you down!
Oh…and don’t forget that you’re a stamp designer now…remember? 🙂 http://www.tayloredexpressions.com/item.php?item_id=1979
(((HUGS)))
February 4th, 2010 at 6:56 am
Jami, I know how difficult the decision was. I had to make it too 🙁 SU! is where I got my start and I love that I found them. It was them that got me hooked on stamping and helped make so many wonderful friends!
I sent my letter to SU! a while ago but still get emails from them asking me to sign the new IDA. Strange…lol! I can even access the site. Even stranger. Oh well, it’ll eventually come to an end 🙁
I’m glad you will continue on with classes! That’s what I do too! I think my friends enjoy the selection of products from SU!, TE and others!
Sending big hugs your way!! Miss that sweet and happy smile of yours!!
February 4th, 2010 at 8:26 am
Good for you for being true to yourself and not caving under the pressure of SU. I was introduced to stamping thru SU. I like their stuff, but as you well know, there are plenty of fish in the stamping sea. I still go to stamp camps because I have 2 good friends who are demonstrators (but don’t tell them sometimes I don’t finish my projects because while I’m making a card all I can think of is I have a stamp from another company at home that I like better—so often I’ll take a project home and finish it there -shhhh!). I hope you’ll be at the CHA Supershow in Chicago in July so I can walk up to you and tell you I know you from your blog 😉
February 5th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Jami, I know that this was so hard on you, and that you thought over this a very long time, and that a lot of prayer went into it. It took me a long time after I made the decision to feel like I was over the “grief” of letting SU go. But I believe that God has continued good things ahead for you. After all, your creativity is from Him. Thanks for sharing in such a thoughtful manner 🙂
February 5th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Hi Jami, Even though my Friday night committment to my Dad prevents me from attending most of your classes, I appreciate all you do and all the help, via your blog, that you give us.
I think you will do just fine. There are so many great suppliers out there, you will figure out a way to showcase your talent and their goods. I love TE and hope to see some more of your great work using Taylor’s great merchandise.
Take care of yourself,
Janet Hoffman
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