Team Meeting and Shoebox Swap.

Hi there everyone. So yesterday, Simon and I ventured to Spaldwick near Huntingdon for a team meeting for me, and a fun bike ride for Simon( around Graffham water). We left quite early at 8am, and it was freezing at -2° and thick fog! Anyway, we got there eventually and was only a little late for the start of team training.

The planned team training was to prepare and make a Shoebox Swap. Basically, this involves designing a card, making up a sample to show and then prepare a certain number of kits for everybody in attendance. All of your 'ingredients' for the card go into a box or basket and then everybody selects a box to begin with, makes their card and then moves onto the next one. This is a brilliant idea to get a number of card samples in a short space of time, with a great range of ideas and stamp sets used.

However, I didn't quite get many cards made yesterday. I was meant to come away with eleven cards, but I only made three!! There was a great reason though, the fabulous Mikaela Titheridge (who I'm blessed to have as my team leader) showed some of us how to set up to do Facebook lives and offered some brilliant tips too! I plucked up the courage to do one, and although it was far from perfect, I'm so pleased that I did it! I'm so keen to present more of them in my business, especially aiming them to the complete novice. I love to get others to stamp so that they can experience the pure joy of being creative and make something worthwhile. Anyway, back to the shoebox swap.

The card that I made for the swap was using the brand new set called 'Timeless Tropical' which will be available from the brand new Mini catalogue that will be launched in January 2020. It definitely makes you long for a hot, tropical holiday in the near future. Here's the card that I made for the swap.

It also happened to be our last team meeting before Christmas, and most of the ladies attending the team training were also attending the Christmas Meal. I chose not to do this, as it would have made for a very long day. I'm sure that they all had a fabulous time though! Anyway, as I wouldn't see any of them before Christmas, I made some Christmas cards for everyone. As time is a premium for most of us and especially at this time of year, they had to be relatively simple and quick to make. Here's what I came up with.

Before I go, I thought that I would show you the fun that Simon had whilst I was crafting! He borrowed my bike for the day because I had actually borrowed his wheels, and it was just easier for him to take mine than mess about with keep changing the wheels. I have to say that my lovely 'Felt' bike has never seen so much mud....Simon most definitely has though, he's like a big kid when he's off road. He just loves getting dirty.....oh well, thank heavens for washing machines!!