Hi,
I’m Sue and I’m ‘BB Card Designs’. I’m married to Mike and we have two amazing grown up children, Sarah and Chris and a beautiful Granddaughter, Penny. Mike has been my soulmate and support for 39+ years and without him, I couldn’t run my business.
You might be wondering how I got into Stampin’Up! and start up BB Card Designs? Well, in 1997 I was involved in a car accident which left me disabled and unable to hold down a job doing regular hours. Recovering from my injuries, I carried on looking after my children, watching them grow up and watching my husband go off to work everyday, feeling resentful that their lives were carrying on and mine was dwindling. In 2003 just as I was beginning to pick myself up and feeling better about myself I was involved in another car accident. The first one permanently damaged the lumbar discs leaving me with nerve damage and in constant pain. The second accident permanently damaged my neck discs, causing a narrowing of the spinal canal, again leaving me in constant pain.
So there was I popping pills to try and control the pain, which they didn’t, feeling really sorry for myself, unable to work, unable to do much to be honest. My best mate, Gill, was having a Stampin’Up! party and suggested I went along. I thought, what would I want to do that for, I won’t be able to do anything. However persistent Gill persuaded me to go and it was the best decision I had made in a long time!
From that first party I was hooked! I ordered some of the products that we had used, had a party of my own, ordering yet more products and finding crafting was taking my mind off my situation. I carried on ordering more and more Stampin’Up! products, carried on crafting and actually enjoying myself. After a while, the Demonstrator I was ordering through suggested I become a Hobby Demonstrator and then I could save 20% on every order I placed. So that was what I did, in October 2011 I signed up with Stampin’Up! as a Hobby Demonstrator and carried on ordering products and crafting for myself. Gill joined me sometimes and we would craft together, then other friends would ask to join us and we would spend a couple of hours having fun, crafting, nattering and having a great time.
This carried on for about 6 months, then they said I should run classes! Well, I thought they were mad! You see over the years, before I ‘found’ stampin’up! I had lost all my self-confidence and self-belief. No way could I teach strangers how to make cards etc! They kept on at me and the more they did the more I starting wondering if I could. So for twelve months I practiced lots of techniques even making videos of my own, crafting with mates, running a small class with them until in April 2013 I thought I was ready!
My friends started commenting how I was different, how much I had changed, my old self was back, my confidence growing. I sat back and thought, wow you’re right I do feel different, even my lovely hubby saw it, he was no longer coming in from work, wondering what he was gonna find – now he’d find me exhausted but happy, my spare room a mess from me crafting! lol
So in April 2013, BB Card Designs was ‘born’! It has grown from strength to strength, just like me! Until September 2017, I ran monthly group classes as well as 1-2-1 classes. I design and make coordinating Wedding Stationary and was very honoured to make both my Daughter’s and one of my Cousin’s Invitations and Table Plans etc.
In August last year 2017, I decided it was time for me to move my business in a new direction. I wanted to get my beautiful cards/projects to a wider audience and to have the opportunity to teach and get in touch with more lovely people than I could fit around my table! So now I am beginning to change things on Social Media and this website especially to enable me to teach online, doing more videos, Live performances, more opportunities for you to join me both as a customer and be part of my growing team!
Talking of my Team, they are all amazing! I have both Business Demonstrators and Hobby Demonstrators as my Downliners (that’s what they are called). Whether you just want to fund your hobby or wish to run your own business, join me and I will help you build your hobby or grow in confidence, run your own business and become a successful business and even have your own Team! I love watching my team members as they perhaps learn a new technique and want to show me and others or one of the team who started as a Hobby Demonstrator but now, like I did, decides they want to start up their own business. I will be there every step of the way, along with the huge amount of support you will get from Stampin’Up!
Want to know what the ‘BB’ stands for? lol it’s a funny story. Whenever Gill was crafting at home on her own, she said she could feel me sitting on her shoulder saying ‘no not like that’ lol, so when I asked her what my business name should be, she suggested ‘Bossy Boots’! As I was always there ‘bossing her’ around even in her own home! lol.
After a few years, I don’t think lol I am as bossy so with my new venture I have decided to rebrand the ‘BB’ to ‘BUZY BEES’, which describes me now – always buzy buzzing around just like a ‘buzy bee’! lol
I hope I have told you enough about myself (you bet you say lol) and I have wetted your appetite to go to the rest of my website and also the other places I am on – pinterest, youtube, instagram, twitter, facebook, and follow me as I start my new journey and bring you brand new products, new projects that will both wow you and make you want to have a go!
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thanks