Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
My demo just got back yesterday from a team meeting so she's brimming with cool ideas to share!
11 people are for sure coming, possibly a few more. As much as that causes me to do a HAPPY DANCE - seeing some good hostess credit coming my way - I am also a little panicked! WHERE AM I GOING TO PUT EVERYONE?!!! The lighting in my living room is just that - living room lighting. Not overly bright. My kitchen/dining room is too small to put them all in. ARGH! I have a dining table that I can put in the living room that will fit half the people & demo lady is bringing a folding craft table but that doesn't answer the question of lighting or chairs! WHY DID I HAVE TO INVITE SO MANY DARN PEOPLE?!! Hee hee! Oh well. I'll think of something! Maybe it's a good excuse to buy another lamp or two! Hee hee!
That brings me to my next question. Assuming I am going to make Level 2 sales, what should I select as my hostess set? I have Little Layers Plus already. If you check out my gallery, you'll see the kind of stuff I like - SIMPLICITY is my "thang"! Couple that with VERSATILITY and you have me! What is the benefit of choosing the Level 1 over a Level 2 set (you'd think they'd give you some extra hostess credit if you choose the level 1 over the level 2 sets!)? I am really in a pickle with this one! I like the Birthday Best set, the In Full Bloom scrappin' Kit, and Sweet of You (level 2) but that's it. Which would you take?
You gals are great!
OH ANOTHER QUESTION.....!
What should I put out for snacks for these women?
__________________ JOCELYN Babywearing, breastfeeding, homeschooling, writing momma of 3, step-mom of 4, grandma-to-be of 1. Check out my BLOG!! Crazy Love-Filled Life
I am excited for you. I am not good with helping out with stamps as I have enought trouble picking my own. But I just had my stampers 10 and I served mini cheesecakes ( as no one really needs a large slice) and veggies and dip. The veggies and dip were the biggest hit. I had none left at the end of the night. You might want to have a level 3 set picked out just in case. My stampers 10 got me there as i had some outside orders.
hi Jocelyn Hope you have a great party tonight!! Lighting... hmmm, do you have some lamps in other rooms you can bring into the living room? Even just reading lamps?
Chairs - you can always do the make n' take in shifts...
food... nothing too elaborate or messy. They're there to stamp, not eat! I would put out a fruit or veggie tray, maybe some cookies. Nothing crazy.
HTH!
__________________ Wife to Kevin, mom to Micah, Rachel and Josiah (who is in Jesus' arms) 07/15/06
Check out our blog: http://kahoogstad.blogspot.com
Do you have folding chairs or know of someone who does that would loan them out? I'd scrounge around the house looking for a floor lamp or 2 you could bring in....You can also take the shades off your lamps to let more light "out"....
I agree with keeping your snacks simple and something they can "pick at" while stamping....wrapped candy, M&M's on the table and then veggies/dip, cookies, etc to munch on while they write up their orders :lol: :lol: :lol:
Good luck wiht your demo tonight!!! I bet you will do great- Enjoy your shopping!!!
I had a similar problem...invited 20 and actually had 13 show, and when I called my demo in a panic, she suggested doing the show on the coffee table. Seating was still a challenge, but it really worked well, because everyone could see because they were higher than she was. The only problem we ran into was that I had to hunt for a plug when she embossed. (I have small children, so they're all behind the sofa, bookcase, etc.) Otherwise, it went really well. Just a thought!
Jocelyn,
I'm doing the happy dance with you!!! Sounds like you are going to have a great party. I'll bet with 11 people coming that you will easily have at least a $500 show! That would put you at Level 3. If you do get there, I just love theTag Time set! It's really versatile and I get lots of mileage from mine. Don't you just love picking out all of your hostess goodies!!!
I just had a SAB party in Feb. I had almost 30 people here!!! It was a bit of a zoo, but my demo was just awesome and helped me figure out the best way to handle all of my guests. We basically had 3 small parties going at the same time. She had a traditional demonstration in my dining room with the "newbies". I had 3 stations set up in my breakfast nook and living room where the "seasoned" stampers made 3 different projects. My daughter ( who is 13) had several of her girlfriends (who were invited with my demo's blessing and came with their mothers) in the kitchen around the island and they made an adorable notebook cover just perfect for 13 year old girls. I helped with questions and totaling orders, which was fine with me, and she brought a new recruit of hers to help as well. It worked out fabulously!!! It was a little more work but worth the extra effort. The workshop totalled almost $1400! I had so much fun spending all of those hostess dollars. And since it was SAB, I got 4 free SAB sets as well. It was great.
I guess the point to this very long story is talk to your Demo. Tell her who is coming ( their skill level or lack of) and she should be able to suggest how to handle the crowd. Has she ever been to your house before? If so she should be able to suggest the best place to hold the demo,etc.
As far as food goes, I serve brownies, Tex Mex dip ( this great layered mexican dip that people just LOVE!!! If you would like the recipe I'll be glad to share it. It's SO easy!) and Tostito chips, a veggie tray with ranch dip and some kind of fruit, usually grapes cause they are easy and people like them. To drink, I serve sweet iced tea( I'm in the South, what can I say?) and a diet Coke. Sometimes if it's cold I will have hot apple cider or hot water and teabags available for hot tea. We aren't coffee drinker so I don't have a coffee pot, but that would also be an option. Just keep it simple.
Good Luck!!! I hope it goes very well. Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.
Happy Stamping!!! :lol:
Janet
I just want to say...don't worry about it. It will all come together. Everyone is coming to have a good time, not to worry about whether or not there are enough chairs. Do bring in lamps from another room (I did that at my party this weekend). Some worked on my coffee table which meant they had to sit on the floor, others worked on my dining room table which meant they had a chair. Everyone just moved around the room, snacking, talking, stamping, and just having a rip roaring good time. I had SO MUCH FUN and was able to get great benefits.
I don't believe you can EVER have too many guests at a workshop! I think a large crowd just generates fun and excitement (kinda like Convention does for we demonstrators that attend! )!!!!!
I have had hostesses with over 20 guests attend an in-home workshop and everybody had a GREAT time and things went great. I demo'd on a small folding table that I intentionally set down as low as possible.
There were folks who felt comfortable sitting on the floor, folks on the couch/loveseat, chairs, and another row of folks sitting on barstools behind the couch.
It always works out fine, no matter how large the crowd!
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I am excited for you, I had 14 counting myself at my party and had a couple outside orders. I ended up borrowing all my neighbor's kitchen chairs so I could seat everyone, and I borrowed a 6ft fold-up table. It all seemed to work out okay and mine was during the day on a weekend so lighting wasn't an issue. I did prenty dang good at my party and I hope you do to, nothing like having alot of free merchandise when it is over.
For food:
I made a vegetable/fruit serving tray and filled it with strawberries, kiwis, celery, carrots, green and red bell peppers.
I made a pampered chef recipe called Skillet Turtle Cake
I had ruffle chips and dip
and a candybowl with treats
Good Luck and have a great party, when all is done who cares how it all went as long as everyone had a good time and enjoyed their works of art
Oh if you get to choose a Lev 2 set I would say Flower Garden since you got the Little Layers Plus already. Mine actually made Lev. 3 so of course I got Tag Time. The reason I say Flower Garden is because it could probably make some simple elegant cards that are very versatile.
Well, we had a good time BUT sales weren't quite what I had hoped for. Ended up with a few people so totally new to the whole stamping/scrapbooking experience that they hadn't even heard of scrapbooking before!!! Others were there just to see what there was to see. It was fun and hopefully those that didn't buy this time will at another one down the road. We'll see.....
As far as hostess benefits, barely made it into the second stage of the level 1 $ awards. For my hostess "set" I'm going to get the Scrappin' Kit. Not sure if I will use it in my scrapbooks or for making cards or both - we'll see. As for the rest of stuff, I was hoping to get the paper cutter but unless we get a good couple of outside orders in, I'll have to wait on that! I'm going to get a pack of white CS, a couple things of ribbon - small stuff. I have lots of stamps and stuff I need to play with still so that's okay!
Anyway, thanks for everyone's input! We ended up setting up a demo station in the dining room on the dining table, had another table set up in the living room as a work station and the coffee table was also a work station. I made a really yummy fruit/cheesecake square - everyone enjoyed & it was super easy to make! Since I wasn't feeling good at all (I got a bad cold!) it was nice to not have to do too much.
THanks!
J
__________________ JOCELYN Babywearing, breastfeeding, homeschooling, writing momma of 3, step-mom of 4, grandma-to-be of 1. Check out my BLOG!! Crazy Love-Filled Life
Glad you had a good time. hopefully you will be using your new goodies soon! And you never know, some of those that were very new may just call up your demo and book a party after they've had a chance to "absorb" all the info they got :shock:
I went to a SU party once where there were at least 25 people crammed in! I think you want to make sure that everyone has something to sit on. Standing for 2 hours is not fun! The good think about the party is that the demo brought a bunch of boards chock full of card fronts and a bunch of non card items -- sneakers, candles, boxes, etc. Generated a lot of excitement. Don't even recall the food!!
Enjoy and hope you get lots of orders.
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
Having workshop tonight - 11 confirmed attending
Atleast you get a stamp set free and some free merchandise. Glad it all worked out and you had a good time. Yup there is always next time especially if you get them hooked 
