2012 - A New Beginning!

Well, this is a first: publishing my own Blog.  I'm still stumbling through it so I trust that anyone coming across my ramblings will have patience.  In time this could become quite a nice place to visit.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, I went to a Stampin Up workshop at a friend's house and my life changed radically.  I hadn't thought much about making cards.  I loved scrapbooking, but cards held no appeal.  Until that red-letter day in the summer of 2011 when suddenly cardmaking became fun.  Actually it became more of an addiction...albeit a good addiction, so please, no interventions. ;)

That single workshop led to my becoming a member of a card-making "club" which met once a month to make a couple of cards and to place an order (we set a minimum limit of $25).  Well, that led to my beginning to seriously consider becoming a Stampin Up Independent Demonstrator myself.  If nothing else, I certainly had enough enthusiasm. 

On November 11th, 2011 I joined the ranks of Stampin Up Independent Demonstrators and began setting up my crafts room.  I assessed my products (those that I had ordered during card-club meetings plus those that I had received with my Stampin Up New Demonstrator's package).  I really couldn't see how I could possibly hold a workshop of my own with the supplies on hand and so I put in a nice, big order.  Luckily I had made room in my crafts room as well as adding lots of storage room because the products in those two boxes had to go somewhere.

By this time it was getting uncomfortably close to Christmas and even if I had the time, none of my friends were interested in having a Stampin Up workshop.  About that time I received a copy of the new mini-catalogue from which I could pre-order the new products which would be available to the public as of January 4th, 2012.  Call it an early Christmas present, but you know I had to make a pre-order so that I could be current when I finally had my first workshop.  Luckily there was still room to store the products in the two boxes that arrived the day before Christmas Eve.

Well, over the Christmas holidays a friend booked a workshop with me for January 15th, 2012.  Was I excited?  Just a smidge.  I was determined this would be the grand-opening workshop to blow all other grand-opening workshops out of the water.  I put together a special 3-D birdhouse that could be ornamental or hung in a Christmas tree (for next Christmas--it's never too early, right?)  With one of those battery-operated tea-lights flickering inside and vellum on the little "heart" windows, that birdhouse was way beyond cute and well into fantastic.  The other make-and-take for that first workshop would be a great Valentine's card with a candy-filled sweet treat cup in the centre of a hot-air balloon. 

Well, today is January 15th.  This morning my hostess phoned and in a thready voice apologized profusely, telling me that she had been sick as a dog all night long and ached everywhere.  Of course the workshop had to be cancelled.  That went without saying.  Everyone was disappointed but understanding and now the workshop is scheduled for January 29th. 

The good thing about all this is that I have had a trial run.  I am really well organized and have two awesome make-and-takes for the absolutely best-in-the-world workshop that I will have on January 29th.  Things could be worse. :)

And now I'm actually introducing a Blog of my own.  Wow!  Maybe people will even read it.