That's me on the jumbotron (left) standing next to Shelli Gardner (CEO and Co-Founder of Stampin' Up!) on awards night. I'm taking an opportunity to boast a little bit today. Awards night last Friday in Salt Lake City was the pinnacle of my Stampin' Up! career and I would love to share the details with my Stampin' Pretty friends!
This is the uber cool card Stampin' Up! presented to me as a congrats after my first trip across the stage (along with some fabulous gift perks).
DRUM ROLL, PLEASE! Among approximately 40,000 U.S. demonstrators, I was:
- #1 for the Most Promotions to Senior Associate (Recruiting)
- #1 for Most Promotions to Supervisor and Up (Leadership)
- #3 in Sales (up from last year–woot)!
Here's what it looks like when they announce your name in front of 5000 people. I still get goosebumps!
Lisa Pretto Ibinger (my wonderful upline), Brian King (my rock star downline) and me. All three of us were Rising Star Achievers at one time!
I also get to brag about my first Stampin' Pretty Pal Rising Star Achiever, Brian King. Pal Pam Morris is his direct upline. He was one of only 5 new demonstrators in the company to reach this goal AND made Stampin' Up! history by being the first male Rising Star!
Brian presented at convention and was a huge hit (all 6' 5" of him)!
Other members of the Stampin' Pretty Pals were recognized for their sales and recruiting achievements as well. In the Stampin' Up! Recognition Room (left to right): Kris Kilcoyne (my amazing assistant), Ann Schach, me, Nicole Picadura, Brian King, Kerry Willard Bray, Ginger Toivonen and Sherri Gross. Not pictured Liz Hughes.
THANK YOU!!! I want to thank my blog readers, customers, fellow demonstrators and incredible Stampin' Pretty Pals for helping me achieve a dream come true! Thanks to Stella MacKay, Nicole Watt and Kris Kilcoyne for contributing the photos. The biggest thank you hug of all goes out to my niece, best friend and the best assistant ever, Kris Kilcoyne (pictured with me above)!
JOIN STAMPIN' UP! AND MY PALS AND GET A FREE PROJECT KIT! Purchase the Stampin' Up! Starter Kit thru me (just $99 and you pick $125 of your choice of product), get a FREE project kit and enjoy all the benefits of being part of the Stampin' Up! family and my Stampin' Pretty Pals. What are you waiting for? Ends Aug. 31. LEARN MORE!
I'm truly GRATEFUL for you, the Pals, and how kind and professional our group is. Kari Linder
YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL! For those of you who would love to be part of the Stampin' Pretty Pals Community but
prefer to have a local stamping buddy or mentor, consider the Pals Partner Program!
Congratulations Mary!! I too look to you for clean, crisp ideas in card-making!! I have my own little card-sending ministry, so you are part of that ?
Dear Mary, I am so proud of you and all of your wonderful accomplishments. You are truly amazing. You work very hard at your business. Your standards are truly amazing.
Your talent is breathtaking. You deserve all of the wonderful recognition. I am a fan of your site. I have made many of your cards over the past many years. You deserve to be the queen. You Go Girl. Your family must be so proud of you. We all love you Mary, Hugs, Ellen Hinds
congrats Mary,
you deserve it.
Congratulations Mary. You have inspired me for a long time now and I’m all the way across the pond in Australia, so no doubt your team, friends and family are over the moon. I look forward to many more inspirational ideas and projects from you. All the best!
Congrats! You continue to inspire us all.
A Big Congratulations!! You work so hard and a wonderful leader for the pals. It’s well deserved. Your a true inspiration!!
Awesome accomplishments Mary! You are a true leader, I am proud to be a part of your Pals. Thanks so much for being a wonderful mentor!
Love love those pictures of all of you !!
And our leader and her Ass. Sure looks
Pretty !! Thanks to to both for all your services
And Ms Mary Congrats to you your the BEST ,
Hugs to both of you !!!
Hugs Frenchie
Congratulations!!! I’ve enjoyed reading your blog daily for several years. So happy you were recognized for you hard work and creativity!
Congratulations, Mary!!! Thank you for all that you do for the Pals.
Congratulations Mary! You DO make a difference!
Congratulations, Mary! You are probably the hardest working, most inspirational, most supportive, most attentive, nicest person at SU! You so deserve it all.
Super Star!! Congratulations to you!
Way to go Mary. Congratulations.
Congratulations on all your acheivements Mary! Wish I could have been at convention this year, but I was helping with a new Grandson! You are so generous in sharing inspiration and ideas with all of us.
thanks so much!
Mary congratulations….and as a Pal thank you for ALL you do!
Congratulations, Mary. You are always so generous with your creativity. I can’t tell you how often I have used your projects as inspiration! Well done!
CONGRATULATIONS MARY you worked hard and are a great leader. You deserve the honor given. I’m so thankful to be a part of your group. Your Tops #1 way to go Mary
hugs Veronica
Well deserved, Mary!!! Your designs are always inspiring, as are your 1 minute-to-wow Videos! Love them! Thank you for your hard work and CONGRATULATIONS!!!
You are awesome!!!!
Congrats! All I can say is you inspire me with your creations and videos! Bien hecho (well done!)
Mary, many, many ,many congratulations! In the words of the song, “Nobody does it better.”
Congratulations Mary! You are most deserving of such recognition. Thank you for all your inspiration.
Congratulations Mary! You are such an inspiration! Thank you for always sharing your wonderful talent! You are so deserving to be recognized at convention and I am glad you shared your success with us.
Mary, you are awesome. You found your Stampin Up identity, encouraged others to be successful, and offer inspiration to us all. Thanks for all your hard work.
A HUGE congratulations to you Mary!!
Don’t be coy Mary – not 5000 but 5800 people! Well done!x
Thank you again for letting us know of your rewards. I searched for 2 days to find out who the new Artisans were, who won what and couldn’t find anything from SU.
I think we all agree the demonstrators who work so hard and generously share their creativity with us thereby getting us soooo excited to stamp – make the company and we would like to congratulate all! Continue to have a “glowing” day:)
Congratulations Mary! Fabulous!
Congrats Mary… I agree with everyone’s comments here. You are a great inspiration to me. I would have love to meet you at the convention. Maybe next time!! Thank you for all that you do
Congratulations! Have a great website and sharing creative ideas has drawn the recognition you deserve! Well done.
Congratulations Mary, you well deserve this recognition. Your inspiration is what I need to create my cards. You, your family and friends should be very proud of you!
WOW!! #1. #3 must have been last year. I am so very proud of you. As I said before, you deserve it and work very hard for it. Congratulations and God’s Blessings to You.
Congratulations, Mary! You are so awesome. I haven’t had contact with my upline for going on 2 years. I really wish I had the support that I know you give to each and every one of your team. I receive your blog updates daily and look forward to them. You’re an inspiration to me and I have used several of your ideas on my own classes. It was great meeting you at convention. God Bless and I’m sure we’ll see you on stage again next year!
I-rish many congrats to you, Mary! You are inspiring to us all!!
Mary, don’t know why my comment posted as Pals Paper Arts above. Sorry, it’s Peggy 🙂
Mary, CONGRATULATIONS!! So proud of you! I have personally experienced your generosity, encouragement and mentoring and am so thankful. When I bought the starter kit I never expected to do anything but get a good price on the products, but you have encouraged me to go so much further. You truly are a great leader and I’m SO SO thankful to have you as my upline.
Mary, I can’t say anything unique after all of these comments but know that you are respected, admired and so worthy of these accomplishments. You have what it takes to continue your success for many years to come. I am so proud to be part of your wonderful group.
I have always considered you a rock star and now the proof is in the pudding as they would say. Congratulations for the honors. Rightly deserved. Thanks for all you do.
So very well deserved! Congratulations to you and your rockstar team!! You all make SU! look good!
I agree with all of these comments and guessing more to come! It was thrilling to watch you cross the stage so often…yes, extremely deserving! And yes, you so deserve to share all of this glory!
Congratulations, Mary. I always look forward to hearing the results of the convention and am so thrilled for you. I wish you all the success this year as well.
Congratulations, Mary, on your well-deserved awards!!!! Thank You so much for sharing your news with all of us also! You have truly earned each and every award. I am a hobby demonstrator, so far from your league, but you are such an inspiration!! I am so happy that Stampin’ Up! realizes your talents and awards you for them :o)
Congratulations from a faithful blog reader!!! You’re wonderful for sharing your videos/ideas, and I for one, am VERY appreciative! Enjoy knowing that you are highly esteemed by sooooo many in the stamping community!
Woo Hoo… You’re Stampin’ Up! royalty. Congratulations and well deserved.
Hi, Mary! Thank you so much for taking the time to say hello again this year. It is always a pleasure to shake hands with (or hug) someone who does so much to inspire so many others. Your success is well-deserved. Congratulations!
oops! spelled that wrong “Shelli’s”
Congratulations! You are amazing! BTW I saw you in two pics on Shelly’s blog!!!
A huge congrats to you, Mary!! Well deserved I’m sure 🙂
Congratulations! I was at convention to see and hear all the wonderful things you have accomplished. I think you have every right to let everyone know what is possible through Stampin’ Up! and what you have achieved. Congratulations again! Well deserved! You are an inspiration to us all.
Sue McNeill
OK, now I’m crying again. Thanks my sweet friend!
Mary, I am so proud of you. You have the right to brag, why not! You put a lot of your time into your business and it shows. I know your whole family is so proud as well. Good job!
Not one of the Pals, but I was so proud for you at Awards Night. You’re a wonderful inspiration and I had to hold myself back from asking for your autograph at Convention. r Many congratulations!
Hi Beth: Thank you! Stampin’ Up! no longer does an overall rank. Just the Top 10 in the 3 categories I listed 🙂
Yeah! Congrats….
Oh Mary! Congrats to you and your team! Bravo!
Congratulations Mary and I agree with all of the above! Awesome
Well deserved. Keep up the great work. You are a true inspiration to others!
Congrats, Mary! We have never meet (and probably won’t) but that will not stop me from visiting your blog everyday. It’s awesome you received all of your awards, I’m so happy for. Again, congrats to you and your continued success.
Well done Mary, you should be proud of yourself, you deserve it. I am a UK demonstrator and have been following your blog for a looong time and I have always admired your work. Many, many congrats. Sharon xxx
Congratlations, Mary! Not surprised at all by your achievements with SU! I know how very hard you work! Proud to be a part of your group! Big hugs! – MM : )
Congratulations Mary!!!! you deserve it !!!
Well done Mary! You deserve all the accolades for all the work you have put into your business!Keep it up and continue to inspire!
be well -Vanessa
Congratulations Mary! Every day you inspire me and make me feel so confident. I appreciate all your hard work!
I am just grinning from ear to ear! You are a rock star!
CONGRATULATIONS……WELL EARNED!
Congratulations Mary, you earned every bit and more for all you do for all of us all the time. So very happy for you (and Kris).
Teri in SoCA
Mary, so very proud of you and all you have accomplished. you are a great inspiration to us “little” demos…..
Awesome!! was the first word I thought when I read your announcement! Congratulations was the second! Thank you for your inspiration and talent that you share with all of us Pals and blog readers everyday…I am so happy for you and very proud that you are my upline! Congratulations again!!
Congratulations to a wonderful role model! I so admire you and what I see you do with your business. I saw you from far away at convention, but didn’t have the opportunity to say hello. I wanted to tell you the DVC/CD racks from Ikea are working wonderfully in my craft room! Thanks for your inspiration in so many ways.
Congratulations, Mary! No one is more deserving of these awards than you! You are a talented artist and a true leader. Your inspiration, support, and guidance are without parallel. I am so proud to call you my upline and my mentor…and most of all my friend. Hugs!
I am so lucky to have been on this journey with you, Mary! You work so hard and you help each of us achieve our own personal goals as well! I couldn’t have signed under a better leader! Congratulations! I was so happy to witness your awards in person this year!!
Woot….woot…CONGRATULATIONS Mary! Yay! Yippee! You are “our” #1, always!
Congratulations Mary on all your amazing accomplishments! I hear you are a super lady and hope to meet you at convention next year.
So exciting! A big congrats to you!!
Thank you Mary for sharing your experience at convention with your readers! Congratulations! You are so deserving of the awards and recognition. Your blog is the best and is THE reason I joined Stampin’ Up! as a hobby demo. Thank you so much for sharing your many talents with your readers and Pals! You are the Royal Queen of cards!
Congrats to a very talented lady with a wonderful blog!
Congrats! Were you number one overall too?
Congratulations on your achievement!!!! What a great success. To reach such success one has to really be dedicated….Your group is very talented. Love all of your projects and idea. Thank you for sharing. I also follow some of your groups blogs….all so very talented and creative!!!!
congratulations, Mary. I agree with the other person who said if I wasn’t already a demonstrator, I’d join your team. You do fabulous work and you almost never talk about your achievements which are wonderful and well-earned. I’m very happy for you.
Congratulations Mary!! You deserve this award. I am new to stampin up and I want to let you know what an inspiration you are to me. When I make cards and my friends complement me on them, your name comes into my heart. Thank you for all you do and God Bless!! Cindy in Florida
Congratulations Mary, what a wonderful job. I always love your work and this is a proof of it. Keep them coming and again CONGRATULATIONS and keep up the good work
Congratulations, Mary, on your huge success throughout the past year. I, too, get goose bumps imagining how you felt when seeing your name on the huge screen. You are truly a demonstrator who puts her heart and soul into her work. Y O U D E L I V E R
I am more than honored to be family to someone so amazingly talented…
Love our working relationship and of course, our friendship is beyond what I could ever hope for. Kudos to you and here’s to another amazing year.
Love you!
Congratulations Mary – you deserve it !
I love to see your work and the work of your friends every day in the morning …. much work effort and dedication pays off …. Blessings
CONGRATS!!! Mary. May 2013 -2014 be another great year for you.
Congratulations on all of your achievements!
Thank you for your support and kind words. I needed a Kleenex to read these comments. I’m so moved!
Congratulations Mary, You deserve this honor. You are so faithful with your blog and always have something there for us. My day starts with you. I’m sure all the good things said about you are correct, as we have not worked together I can’t say these things but believe all that is said. Thanks for keeping us informed with all the Stampin Up news. They are right it was your day… So Enjoy the memories.
Congrats on all your achievements. Thank you for inspiring us daily and so generously sharing your knowledge. I am so thrilled for you, so much work and all worth it! 🙂
Congratulations on all your achievements.
Congratulations Mary! I love seeing what you achieve at convention every year. You work so hard and do such a wonderful job as a demonstrator. You totally deserve it!
Mary,
Hard work and dedication always pays off. Congratulations to you and your team.
Congratulations Mary! You have been a wonderful inspiration to so many.
Wow what an inspiration you are. You are so talented and I enjoy reading your daily blogs. Congratulations to your team!
Congrats to you! Much deserved, you are an awesome stamper and a wonderful, kind person!!
Oh my gosh Mary – I knew you were special from the first time I read your blog. What an amazing feat to have accomplished. Congratulations and know that all your readers really appreciate everything you do.
Your blog and tutorials were my companion as I recovered from surgery last year. I have learned so much from you. Thank you and congratulations from the bottom of my heart.
Seems to me SU demonstrators work very, very hard for their awards. Can’t be lazy and do well. SU is an impressive company from Mrs. Gardner through creative, motivated demonstrators and onto first-class products, responsive customer relations and fair business practices. Congratulations on distinguishing yourself by stellar performance in a stellar organization.
Roses to you, Mary, for all these amazing accomplishments! You do great work and are such an inspiration! CONGRATS!
Congratulations!
Mary, Congratulations!! You deserve all of this recognition and more! 🙂 Thank you for making this Stampin’ Up “gig” more enjoyable then I ever imagined. Wouldn’t trade the Pals for anything! You are quite a leader…an excellent business mind, but it’s your compassion and integrity that brings us all together as Pals! Congrats to you! 🙂
Mary, not surprised you received all you did. You are fantastic. Enjoy basking in this for a while!
What exciting news! As I posted on Brian’s blog today, you are the Royal Queen of cards! Congratulations….very much deserved!
So very well deserved Mary! Congrats and keep up the great work!
Congratulations, Mary! You are truly an inspiration!
Good job!! Woo Hoo!!!!
Congratulations Mary, you are the best. I was so proud to say I was one of your blog followers. Convention was fabulous.
Mary, that is totally awesome!! You deserve it!! Thanks for all your inspiring talent you share with us!
I don’t know of another who is more deserving of the honors. So proud of you and for all that you do. Your one-minute to WOW videos are the best!
Congrats congrats congrats!
What an amazing crafter and inspiration you are!
Wow Mary…Congrats! What a special honor. You deserve it.
I am so happy for you! You have been a part of my life every day. I look forward to your art and knowledge! Kathy
I am new to your blog and loving your style.
Congratulations on all your success. Georgette, NC
You are the best Mary. And would win for best web site too.
Congratulations on all your awards and your teams as well!!! Keep up all the hard work it has really paid off for you and your Pals!!! You are my go to stamping blog every morning and I copy many of your cards.
Congratulations on all your awards! Well deserved!
What an exciting evening that must have been and it is fabulous that this great Company recognizes its leaders in such a way! Congratulations Mary and thank you for enriching so many people with your marvelous creativity and talent.
Dear Mary: CONGRATULATIONS on all of your well deserved awards. You have been an inspiration for me from the very start, I have felt your generosity, kindness and enthusiasm through out the years that I have been your customer. I am so very happy for you, I’m sending a big hug, full of love and gratitude, across the miles for you.
Mary….great post and I am so proud of you and all of the PALS…you are an amazing leader, a beautiful person with the biggest heart and spirit within…it is an honor and a privilege to be part of the PALS team! WOOT-WOOT to you and all of the Pals…and naturally to our great company!!!
Mary,
I’m so happy for you! I’ve been watching your posts and CASing your cards for a while now and I have been wondering all week what awards you may have gotten. Congrats!
Shauna S
Delaware
Congratulations!!! What an honor!!! You have earned it!
FELICITATIONS ! ton travail est si beau !
A HUNDRED cheers for you Mary! How wonderful to be recognized for all of the hard work and inspiration you so generously give to us. You could be CEO of any company with your skills. CONGRATS! Hugs, judi
Congratulations Mary, I follow your blog and just love what you create.
Regards Leisa (Hobby Demo in Australia) 🙂
I was out of the country without my laptop when this happened, so pardon me for the delayed “congrats.” I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more. You are very talented, dedicated, and personable. I may not chime in as much as I used to, but I never miss a post!
Congratulations to you and your team.
Congrats, Mary. You are definitely an inspiration to me and many others. Your expertise & enthusiasm make you the wonderful demonstrator you are. Many thanks for all you do to help each of us achieve our goals.
Congratulations Mary. Thanks for sharing all your ideas and inspiration with us.
Congratulations Mary – you deserve it !!!!
Mary – you deserve and have earned each and every one of those awards!!! If I weren’t already a demonstrator, I would absolutely want to be on your team! You are a constant source of inspiration not only in the projects you create, but you exemplify the kind of SU demonstrator I want to be. God bless you for your creative spirit and generous heart!!