Workshop of a Lifetime - WHAT A DAY!

Seriously.

What.

A.

Day.

;)

Now, just a warning, this will be a LONG post - as there is SO MUCH to tell... and pictures, and just a gooood time.  There will probably be more pictures added soon - as I only have a couple at the moment.  Jesse will be getting more to me in the coming days, and I will post those!

It was crazy from the get-go, not only because of the group meeting, and the workshop, but also because we have 2 sick boys, one of which (of COURSE, that darn Murphy) had to go for a quick visit to the dr's that morning.

Shelli and Sara arrived here in Williams Lake, on Tuesday evening, so I actually gave them a buzz at their hotel around 8.30pm, to invite them to breakie.  As it turned out, Shelli had TWO (not just one, but two!) conference calls in the morning, so that wasn't gonna happen.  (But, I needed that time anyway to take a sick boy to the dr!)  I was seriously a headless chook (aussie slang for chicken with its' head cut off) for the majority of the day.  The only times I wasn't?  During our group meeting, and the workshop - both of which were AWESOME!

The group meeting started at 1pm and went until 4pm, and we discussed stuff like bookings, workshops, supporting your downline, retired sets we missed, and whole bunches of stuff!  It was so phenomenal to have some personal, relatively quiet time with Shelli and Sara, with just the 10 of us.  Sara was taking notes like lightning - they genuinely care what their demos say, and that was just awesome.  We all enjoyed it immensely.  After the discussion part of things, we went on to do a make-and-take, with a watercolouring technique I love - that I'd learned while watching the Regional training DVD with my upline Cary - called the re-inker spread technique.  Shelli and Sara had both seen the technique demo-ed... but had never done it!  How special did I feel that Shelli and Sara tried a technique for the first time at MY HOUSE?????  Oh my gosh, I was giddy!

Sadly, that meant that the end of the group meeting was there - that 3 hours had totally FLOWN!  And it was time to get ready for the workshop.  Shelli and Sara said goodbye to the girls, and headed off to relax for a bit, grab a bite to eat.

 

Back: Trish, Susan, Cary, Teena, Sarah, Jesse, Heleen

Front: Sara, Me, Shelli

 

 Our make-and-take for the group meeting - card was designed by Cary

Fastforward to 6.30pm, and Shelli and Sara arrived for the workshop.  I greeted them at the door in my pj's... ;)  When everyone had left in the afternoon, I had just needed to relax, get comfy, and give my sick son some mummy-cuddle time... so I did!  I had to get spiffy, and Shelli and Sara just got their stuff out while I changed and got ready.  (If you don't know me yet - I'm really low-maintenance - getting ready takes me all of 10 minutes.)  The ladies started arriving not long after!

I ended up having 18 attendees, so the living room was PACKED!  :) Sara started out with the arrivals by helping them with a quick and easy make-and-take, a cute little tag on a pen.  Then, once everyone was here, we got going.  I introduced myself (as I had quite a few people come that I'd never met before - through flyers and brought by existing customers), and Shelli and Sara - and then handed the floor over to them. 

 

See? Easy Peasy and too cute!

At this point, if it wasn't enough that the CEO and Co-founder of Stampin' Up! was coming to my HOUSE, to do a workshop for me... I got goodies!  Shelli thanked me for hostessing, and I got this cute little favour box with a spool of Soft Suede polka dot ribbon.  Kellene, Shelli's assistant, had also sent out 2 boxes of catalogues sent to me to GIVE AWAY to my guests (no small thing - they're worth $100 to me when I order them!)... AND I also got a personalised stamp (oh yay, I had wanted one SO BAD, but it just wasn't a priority item!)... but to me, the favour box means the most I think - because it's handmade of course!  :)

Favour box made in Old Olive with Very Vintage wheel, 

hodgepodge hardware, and the Beautiful Butterflies die.

Watching Shelli do the demo, and then demo the 2nd make-and-take, was just awesome.  She used the Big Shot, the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, Sweet Pea DSP, Choc chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Kraft cardstock, and our EXCLUSIVE Top Note die... (mmmmm, I love that die, and just got mine this week!)  She demo-ed an easy peasy technique that looks just fantastic - called paper piecing - and it took her so little time!  It felt great when she asked me to chime in whenever I chose, because although she's the CEO, she doesn't have the catalogue memorised like us demos!  ;)  (Well, I do often take mine to bed with me... and I have a few friends who take theirs in the bath!)

Gorgeous Friends Card.

The 2nd make and take was a cute little card and envelope, using the Sale-A-Bration set Vintage Labels, The Scallop Circle Punch, the 5/8" Satin Ribbon, the classic Note Cards, and the Designer Series Patterns Paper.  They chose Bermuda Bay, Whisper White and Basic Black, and it just looked SO sharp!  Shelli even stamped the envelope, because she "hates to have a naked envelope!"  It was hilarious, and I've never thought of it that way... I'll probably stamp ALL my envelopes now!

Too cute note card!

After all the make-and-takes, we had picture time.  Everyone got out their cameras, and my dear friend Jesse played photographer for us.  She got an amazing pic of Shelli, Sara and I... and Shelli asked Jesse to send Kellene her pics, because she wanted them for her blog. :)   And I have to say, this picture is getting enlarged to an 11x14, getting framed, and put up in my stampin' space!  ;)

 

Sara, Me, Shelli

 

Our group - none too small!

 
Then, it was time to get serious - while everyone was placing their orders, we had some munchies of COURSE... Nanaimo bars - which Shelli and everyone loved!, fruit and chocolate dip, veggies and dip, yummy ginger cookies; oh, it was a FEAST!  And a fantastic way to end the evening.

And I'd like to insert here that my 2 little men, and my 1 big man, were so amazing and supportive during this crazy time.  My boys were so cute, stampin and punching stuff with Sara while the guests were first arriving and so well-behaved, and then Todd took the boys up to have a bath when we started, and then put them to bed.  My hubby just ROCKS, and I couldn't POSSIBLY have pulled this off had he not been 110% on board.  He just retired to his office to surf the net while we were all watching Shelli and Sara do their "thang."

After everyone had left, I had the privilege of having about 15 minutes with Shelli and Sara and Todd, just chatting about life and stuff... and it was awesome.  I really felt as though I connected with BOTH Sara and Shelli - Shelli because she's my hero ;) and Sara was just amazing, and we actually have a bit in common, being busy mums and all.  The selfish part of me would have loved to have had the day be JUST THAT - chatting and hanging out!  I even told them I'd prefer if we just hung out in my scrap space for the rest of the night. ;)  But, they had Ida's workshop in Vancouver today, so another busy day for them... plus Regionals in Calgary on the weekend - too busy, and they needed their rest.

I was buzzing when they left... just BUZZING.  I got to bed about 11.30, but it took me at LEAST an hour and a half to fall asleep, as my brain just wouldn't shut off! 

What.

A.

Day.

Besides the days I met and then consequently married my husband, and the days my boys were born... this was one of the best days of my life... and DEFINITELY of my papercrafting life!!!

Thanks for reading my novel...  Hope you enjoyed it.  I certainly did.  ;)

Much love,
d. <3