Artisan Intro - That's me!

When I first saw the announcement about the Artisan team going worldwide I, um, I Googled ‘Stampin’ Up! Artisan Design Team’.  That sounds bad.  Ok, so my second thought was that it would be entirely out of my reach amongst the many talented demonstrators I know in New Zealand and Australia. I left it at that.

Heavily pregnant and just five weeks out from giving birth to our third child our team leader emailed me to say she thought I should apply. I was a bit taken by surprise, I probably cried (pregnant!) and I thanked her very much for the vote of confidence. Me? Really?? My head space was so full at the time with my eldest starting school, preparing to move to our brand new home, the baby arriving and my big bro’s wedding.

Come April between feeds and sleep-deprived nights I had been testing myself by doing weekly blog posts and somehow managed to turn in my Artisan application.  As the weeks post-application went by and I started to think about it more, I became very comfortable with the idea. Perhaps it was one of those rare times when you’re feeling confident enough in the quality of your creations to be judged on them? Hmm, perhaps not.

About mid-June I got The Call. Emma, our amazing and down-to-Earth country manager, sprung the news on me one afternoon. It was like being proposed to – in that I knew the time was right for me but I totally didn’t see it coming! Me? Really!! Then came the wait. Quite inconveniently, top secrets are always top of the list of things you’d like to tell someone.

Well the North American convention came soon enough as did the onslaught of congratulatory messages from friends and yet-to-be-friends alike. I have ogled at the contents of my first box, sketched rough ideas on the shower wall (let’s face it Mums – sometimes your only real alone time), and still feel a little bit like someone needs to pinch me.

And now, the pressure’s on with the eyes of the Stampin’ Up! world watching this humble little Kiwi. Time to do what Kiwis do best: Take it easy mate, be me, create. Looking forward to this year and all that it brings. Thanks for your loving support so far.

Here's a little something I made for my brand new nephew. I’m yet to meet him in person but I can’t wait!

Welcome if you've clicked through from Sarah Sagert's blog!

Next, click below to hop along and read Teneale Williams’s Artisan journey…

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Supplies Used:
Stamp Sets - 134276: And Many More, 134012: A Happy Hooray
Inks - Pumpkin Pie, Pistachio Pudding, Crushed Curry, StazOn Black
Papers - Kraft Cardstock, Bermuda Bay, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White, Confetti Celebration Designer Series Paper
Accessories/Tools - Whisper White Thick Baker's Twine (from Tag a Bag Accessory Kit), White Embossing Powder