In my opinion- Griping about the new Stampin' Up IDA

Stampin' Up came up with new policy that impinges on our freedom of speech on our personal blogs- they feel that as someone who is contracted to be a demonstrator for them that this is a forum for potential sale and that other products that compete with them would be problematic for them.

I personally feel that we are all crafters and the more we share information and increase desire for this wonderful hobby that we all profit from it.

Stampin Up for me has provided many years of support and wonderful images for stamps with the best quality products especially with their cardstock and coordinating and unique products that I can't find anywhere else so I have decided to stay with them for now but I am unhappy about it. I almost feel like I want to create a blog anonymously so that I can be free to say what I want about whichever product I want to feature here but I will abide by their rules for now.

So for now, unless they change their policies, I am no longer able give product details or places to buy or create link to other competing product companies so I apologize in advance to you all. Jewerly they say is not part of that - not that I would sell jewerly products here anyway - but I will still post specific company info on the Splitcoast website under my gallery: LyndaLee28- when I post things there: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=112152. Since I am not selling anything at my gallery, I hope this is not breaking any rules. I will try to give the name as much as possible- Michaels as M's or Mikes and asterisk part of the name so that I am not REALLY giving the name but hopefully you can still figure it out.

This is a little sample make and take we made from Stamp on *ver booth from Cranb*rry Hill when they were showing at the recent Rubber St*mp Convention in San Jose created by Irina one of the teachers there. I met up with my girlfriends Sachi and Margeryand we got to use the new Brad M*ker - see the cat brad on the right side top. The image is from her own line of stamps. Is it not adorable? We got to play with some of the C*pic markers and had a ball. The container is from Bo B*nny and it holds candy inside like the sweet treats from SU exept this is the whole packaging. Slipped a piece of double sided designer paper inside the package. tied a ribbon and attached a flower. The circle and black reverse circle scallop behind the main image from Sp*llbinders. She makes the most complicated layered things- just darling!

While there, I finally broke down and the got the air compressor to use the C*pic markers to create that soft background- I've been reading about it on some of the websites and eyeing it on line but they had a deal maker special at the show and I could not pass it up. I have been playing with it and I LOVE IT! A big investiment but I have been looking at one for over a year and for my Christmas card knew I needed to use something like it and could not fathom buying a can for the price they were selling to get only 6 minutes of pressurized air. Now I never have to buy another can of air!

So you get the idea of how I'll be doing this- I apologize to you all for this- I think this is somewhat short sighted on Stampin' Up part and there are a lot of demos who are dropping out over this which I think is truly sad- I think business has to allow competition to make everyone's business grow together. IMHO- (in my humble opinion).

Lynda