I am so fortunate to be a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator and to have been a demo for 13 years myself. In that time I have met the most amazing people, had a wealth of incredible supportive customers and a huge team scattered across Europe. The thing I am most proud of is the team and community I have built. They are incredible and I am so fortunate to be able to celebrate several of my team who have been in my team for over 10 years! Each day this week I am sharing a member of my team who has celebrated being a demo in my team for over 10 years!
This wonderful lady, Sarah Berry, has been with me over 11 years and joined when she was a mere nipper herself!
I have watched her grow into an amazing wife, mother and incredible business woman and am also privileged to call her a friend.
Sarah is a Silver Elite demonstrator with a large team and a very loyal customer base. I asked Sarah if she’d tell us all a little about herself and her journey to this incredible milestone so here you go….
Tell us a little about you Sarah
Hello everyone! My name is Sarah Berry, previously Makin when I first joined on 27th August 2009! I live with my husband Tom, two boys Matthew (9) and Adam (6), two dogs and most recently a tank full of Tropical Fish. We live in a little village by the sea near Morecambe, Lancashire.
What do you love most about being a demo?
Flexibility. I love that I can work around my family, pick the children up from school. I can be there for assemblies, and other events where parents are invited into school for the day.
Why did you join?
I joined Stampin’ Up! because I wanted to collect everything. I am a collector. Number 1 on my list was the ink pads, because I’d never seen such a genius idea of having the lid moulded as part of the ink pad. I hadn’t realised just how amazing stamping is with the quality tools for the job. I first found Stampin’ Up! when they first launched in the UK, but I was still studying at university and wanted to get that finished first. I remember speaking to Michelle on the phone and told her I was worried I wouldn’t meet the quarterly minimum, but she insisted it wouldn’t be an issue and what was the worst that could happen and why not give it a go.
I’m so pleased I took the plunge and joined with my starter kit purchase. I could see the potential in starting my own little craft business, it was very tempting. So within a the month I’d booked myself a venue and invited everyone I knew attend my monthly classes in the church hall. It was such a great feeling to be carrying around my own personal shop of crafting supplies, without having to invest in product up front, like a traditional craft shop would do.
What does your business look like?
My business has always been online, as I started my website as Paper Celebrations, in the very beginning. I used Stampin’ Up! products to make wedding stationery. I was certainly doing more offline in the beginning than online and that has slowly changed over the years. As I’ve recruited and my downline has increased, so my time has been spent with them. My business has constantly changed year on year. I have fond memories of many different workshops/parties, for both adults and children, weekly and monthly classes, quarterly events, special events at garden centres, even running a big stand at craft shows. At the moment I’ve very much working from home, supporting my team and taking orders over the phone and blogging when I can.
Your best memory of the last 10 years?
I have a lot of fond memories, I could tell you about all the silly things that I’ve done, including leaving my passport and all my money on the plane in America, on the way to the Stampin’ Up! Leaders event in Florida. My head was NOT screwed on and Michelle was witness to that! Or the time I got to see dolphins up close, in Madeira and encouraged my husband out onto the nets to lay at the front the boat. This turned out to be a BAD IDEA this left him with terrible sea sickness! (He was perfectly fine before I got him to move.) I still feel guilty about that.
My best memory has got to be the moment that everything just clicked for me. There was a moment at Manchester Convention in 2013, I’d literally just given birth 2 weeks before that to Adam (who’s now 6) and all the way through my pregnancy I was determined that I wouldn’t miss the event, even though Convention was on my due date. Luckily Adam arrived 2 weeks early. YES! I had this little baby in his buggy and I was sat thinking about how amazing it is that I can still work and connect with like minded people, even though I had this little baby and also a 3 year old at home too. I was really inspired by the Convention and I wanted to achieve the Incentive Trip. I’d been to every convention before that day, but this time I just wanted to go for it, even though my life had just got a whole of busier. I’ve earned 6 Incentive Trips since then, and in track to earn my 7th this year. Fingers crossed!
One piece of advice to anyone considering buying the starter kit?
A starter kit is a wonderful investment! It’s a business in a box if you want it to be. If you’re looking to invite your friends to a craft party I would choose a stamp set that you like, one that the sentiments would fit into a punch. A pack of coloured and white cardstock, trimmer, envelopes, a bottle of glue, dimensionals and a couple of ink colours. You’ll have everything. You need to start your first party.
Isn’t she amazing? Sarah brings out the goof ball in me and we have been so lucky to experience so many amazing trips to Stampin’ Up! events and Incentive trips together and had so many laughs. I adore her family too and Tom (her husband) will always have a special place in my heart.
Back in 2018, I was stranded in Glasgow when the Beast from the East snowstorm hit the UK. I was stranded alone in a hotel for several days with no option to get home. We were moving house in 4 days and there was still so much to do and as each day passed I was getting more and more stressed. Tom drove from Lancashire to Glasgow in his car to get me. We travelled for 4 hours back to their home in the pitch black and white out conditions skidding and sliding our way across the Pennines to safety. What an absolute legend! They put me up for the night and then sent me on one of the few trains out the next day and I will always be truly grateful for their kindness and friendship.
So if you don’t know Sarah, why not go and check out her blog and her social links and I know she would love to see you.
Sarah’s Instagram Profile
Sarah’s Facebook Page
I hope you enjoyed this little step back into my Stampin’ Up! archive. I will be celebrating more of my team who have been celebrating their 10th anniversary every day this week so please pop back and say hi and leave us a comment or two.
