So is the cat out of the bag yet?
 

The message isn't until 1:30 (Utah time). :) We still have some waiting to do.

Although, a demo yesterday said she accidentally found some home interior type things in our ordering system yesterday. We'll see...

SU announcement?
 

Wasn't SU going to announce a new product line today? Anyone know what it is?

let me know when you find out. I wanna know a secret too! ;)

wonder if that is like the "upper case living" stuff

not out until noon mountain time....

Any news yet? It is 12:13 mountain time, right?

It's an audio file and I for one can't get it to download...any help out there???? Why not just tell us????? thanks, Cris

This is from an email i just received.....


"Shelli Announces D�cor Elements--An Exciting New Addition!"

The download failed about 20 minutes into it...could be jammed.

Decor Elements...vinyl wall decor...phrases, letters, images

DECOR ELEMENTS - self - adhesive vinyl wall decor
made in house
starting with 100 images/sentiments/monograms in
chocolate/white/kraft
available July 1
demos see brochure tomorrow
This is just phase 1!

This sounds fun... like rub-ons for walls? :D I kind of also wish their announcement was a new product line related to stamping (die cuts or die cutting machine, unmounted/clear stamps, Copic-like markers, etc...) but I'm curious to see what they look like.

Will have to see it. The name vinyl wall decor isn't sending me.

I am sure that the vinyl wall decor from SU will be great, as is all their stuff, but what they are doing to us as demonstrators is not fair. I am an Uppercase Living demonstrator and SU is now telling me that even though UL has a huge beautiful catalog, I have spent time and money buikding my UL business and have a working downline that I now have to CHOOSE and dump one or the other. I am so mad!!! I think that demos who are already involved with another vinyl co. should have the right to do both, and that from here forward that the no selling for a competitive co. rule should apply. They have known about this for a while, and have been less than honest about it. Demos that have called demo support to ask about does UL compete with SU and can I be an UL demo have been being told yes, it's fine!!! It is dishonest for SU to let their demos spend money on starting a business, only to tell them they have to dump it!

I especially don't think it is ethical to make their demos choose since this is not even a stamping related product that we could have forseen SU to start carrying! (I am HOT about this issue, can you tell?)

I have no idea what this product really means and what is Uppercase Living?
Oh by the way I am a demo that as well cannot get the video to download...wasted an hour and ALL I got was a blank screen!!!!
pls fill me in

I guess I am disappointed. I had really hoped it would be something new for the stamping aspect (die cut, copic-like markers, unmounted, etc)

UL has a beautiful catalog with thousands of choices in at least a hundred colors to choose from. How am I supposed to take a little mini SU vinyl catalog with around 100 images in 3 boring colors to my UL customers and say "Hey, I know the other had so much better selection and you could even design your own on my site, but now I can only show you these few in these 3 drab colors" and expect them to continue to be my customers? If it were me, and I was interested in Vinyl wall decor I'd chuck me and look for another UL demonstrator!!

I have always had respect for SU, but this is Wrong!!!

I really don't know what I am taalking about as I have no idea what this vinyl wall covering is but I am with you on a different stamping product....I was really rooting for the cuttlebug contraption but oh well!!!

Seems like a weird product line for SU to start carrying. What's next curtains?

I just want this to be clear for anyone who isn't a demo. SU has been very clear with us that if we demo for a different company, and SU expands into that market we will have to choose. This was not something sprung on demos. And, they even made this point specifically about UCL a couple a months ago. While you are welcome to take part in another company any demo should have known from the beginning that this was possible.

If it was a stamping product, I would have NO problem with it. It is not, and even though SU thinks that it should have the corner on the world, it is still not right, even if it is legal.

You know...I think it is sort of funny like Longaberger carrying jewelry. No disrespect to the Longaberger Family at all. I love their product!!

Yes, you are correct. You are made aware from the beginning that Stampin Up is an expanding, growing company that is exploring many product lines to possibly bring to market and that if you are working for a direct sales company that competes with SU that you will have to choose. I became a demo 4 years ago and that was made clear to me. Stampin Up didn't "spring" this on anyone. This has always been the case.
As for being able to compete with UL, well lets just say that SU has made it clear that this first initial offering is small because they are just getting started but they also said that this is phase 1 and that there would be phase2,3,4 and 5. So, don't judge too quickly.

Wow...I'm amazed that some of you have the energy to be a demo for more than 1 company. My hat goes off to you!!! I think if you have the energy and time go for it. Why should you have to choose which company to be a part of. If there are benefits of both allow the demo to participate in both. If that's the case everytime SU hears about one of their demos being a demo for another company they will just start producing whatever product it is to keep the demo selling only SU stuff.

Just my opinion.

Actually, I think it is a nice creative progression. They will coordinate with our stamp images, and you can put them on altered items as well as your walls.

I am not judging. I said in my post that I am sure that they will be great, just like all of SU's products. I can't say enough about how great their stuff is, which is why I sell it! Everything new that they have added has been fabulous, and I didn't say they "sprung" it on us. Just like SU only wants us to show the best, I want the same. UL has the best (at this time) and if the future for SU's vinyl line is anything like what they have done for rubber stamping, their vinyl line will be the best. I want to sell what is the best for my customers, and right now that is UL as far as vinyl is concerned. What would be ideal for me, because I love SU and my loyalty is to them, is to let me transition my customers as SU's line gets bigger and better, not sending my UL business immediately to the guillotine while they are building up!

This is not just a SU rule, most direct sales companies have this rule about not demo'ing for another company that sells the same type of products. And no, SU doesn't go to the time and expense of manufacturing and brining to market a new product just to kick someone in the teeth! SU has always said that they are not necessarily going to just stick with stamps and paper. They have been working on this for years. It's the risk you take if you sign up with 2 companies.

We don't have ucl in Canada so it is something a little different. They are basically big rub ons for the walls. They actually look pretty nice in some places.

I was hoping for cuttlebug/cricut type of thing too but I haven't given up hope yet.

Decor Elements is:
> ... a self adhesive vinyl you can put on your walls, windows.
> ... affordable - you can decorate & redecorate (without having to paint)
> ... consumable - change it when you want -
> ... easy to apply (easier than rub-ons)
> ... easy to remove
> ... very forgiving as you're peeling it off, if you miss a spot as
> you're pulling it up you can set it down
>
> 100 images will be available in 2 colors Chocolate & White. One
> image avail in Craft
> Alphabet, Art Images (several different styles) & Phrases.
>
> Being manufactured right in the Riverton facility. Smaller
> introductory offering. Because are manufacturing it ourselves and
> need to be able to meet the demand of demonstrators/ customers. Did
> this because they don't want to have backorders. Entire staff
> dedicated to this product line.
> This is Phase 1 - which means more phases to come.
>
> A few things to add...
>
> Each image will be offered in two sizes.
>

I think it sounds so interesting! I've been on SCS all afternoon, and haven't checked out the SU site yet. I'll have to do that in a minute.

I too sell for another direct sales company...but I don't think I'll be having any problems with deciding between the two because the other company is Pure Romance.

As long as SU doesn't decide to dive into the "relationship enchancement" industry I'll be okay! LOL

Guess what? You are expressing your words very well. I could not have said it better myself and I agree with you 100%! You are speaking for many SU demos who recently got the okay to sell UL. I hope SU is reading this to see what they have done to the trust in their company! SU says they want to be the "AND" Company....so what does that mean...stamps AND candles AND dip mixes AND scrapbooking AND vinyl lettering AND baskets AND cars??? Okay I am going far here, but it is looking like the SU! catalog will be 800 pages one day and I will have to lug 10,000 things in to my demonstration which will now take 7 hours to do.

Thank you Sherry. I think that my frustration was pushed up a level because I was hoping that the announcement would have something to do with a new scrapbooking something, since I often feel in my demonstrations to exclusive scrapbookers that my offering to them is minimal. Scrapbooking is already a part of SU, and it would have made more sense to expand further into this HUGE industry that goes hand in hand with rubberstamping. Many of my scrapbookers have expressed frustration at SU's lack of scrapbooking "stuff" and whether I like it or not, they go elsewhere for a lot of their scrapbooking needs. They love our paper, ink, ribbon, and some of our stamps, but want a bigger variety of stickers, rub ons, punches, die cuts, DP, and kits. 1 kit for baby girl, baby boy, etc. just does not cut it for serious scrapbookers. They are done with it in a week and ready for something new! I have read all of SU's tips about how to make your scrapbookers see that we have pretty much anything they need in the SU! catalog, but it is not so for the avid scrapbooker. As a scrapbooker myself, I can say that I have often wished for a bigger scrapbooking selection in the catalog, too. Going off into an at best semi related product line does not make a lot of business sense to me when there is a totally related industry out there that they have not finished exploring. If Shelli is bored with stamping and wants a change, then this should have been a seperate company, but it is obviously easier to wrangle your already "captive" audience into this, even if it is not necessarily in all the demo's best interest. Let me say again, for you who would like to villify me, that my loyalty is to SU, I love their products and feel strongly that there is not a better stamp ink and paper co. out there! If I didn't, I wouldn't feel so passionately about this! They dominate the field in this industry, I just wish that we had gone in a different direction that was more related to what I love about SU.

I keep shaking my head, reading this--what? wall decor? Are you serious? Hmmmmm...............

I also demo two companies- Stampin' Up! and another that shall remain nameless to protect the innocent... I knew when I signed up for Company #2 that if SU! ever branched into that area, I would have to choose. Is it likely they'll end up in that area? No. But if they do, I will choose. I agreed to the rules when I signed my demo agreement for both companies. (The rules concerning competing products are very similar for both of them). And my personal opinion- vinyl is not that unrelated. SU has been doing creative projects for years, and not all cards and scrapbooking.

You took the words right out of my mouth...

A natural progression
 

I think it is a wonderful addition.:) I like stamping items for home decor and now there is more to choose from. I had never heard of UL and now that I saw their website and product, I am even more excited about what SU will be offering. I am looking forward to Convention even more now. I love new stuff and so do my customers. I am sure that SU will address the issue of existing UL demos soon enough, it is a tough call.

I had to laugh!!!! I'm sure this is a product I will like and will probably have to try, but I agree that it's a very weird thing for a STAMPING company to carry. Thanks for the chuckle!

I read that as caskets and bars.... whoa, my mind is really in the gutter.