Saturday, August 15, 2009

Convention 2009 and a Challenge to YOU



Well, I didn't go to the 2009 Stampin' Up! Convention in Salt Lake City this year - but I was lucky enough to have a Convention Buddy. Pammy was my 'eyes and ears' at Convention and let me know what was happening during the exciting week with 3,000 Stampin' Up! demonstrators. I will be demonstrating some of the new techniques and ideas they learned at Convention at several of my upcoming classes and events.

One of the many highlights of convention is getting together with other Stampin' Up! demonstrators who are just as passionate about Stamping and Scrapping as you are! Demonstrators love to SWAP and will swap cards, 3d items, mini scrapbooks and any item you can hold still long enough to stamp! I am so lucky to be part of a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators who are not only passionate about Stamping, but are obsessed with Swapping!

They organized several different swapping categories and because of our move, I wasn't able to participate in many, but one that I wouldn't miss for anything, was an All About Me page swap. I found it to be the most difficult scrapbook page because of the personal journaling - what do I say about ME?! But I didn't want to miss out on the page from each of my good friends, so I got my page done and sent it off to Pammy who swapped it out for me. My package of swap returns will be arriving next week and I am SO looking forward to each of those All About Me pages of my friends! Here is my page - it is 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" square and my pages will fit into our 8 1/2" Chipboard Album.

My Challenge to you, and I know it's a real challenge - Scrap a page ABOUT YOU. Share a recent photo and some insight into WHO you are, WHERE you are in life right now, WHAT is important to you, HOW you think and view yourself. I found it difficult and challenging, yet I know how important these AAM pages from my friends are to me - can you imagine how important an All About Me page is to your family and close friends? And in just a few years, it will be a snapshot of your life and where you were and how you've changed. Capture that moment - and please share your All About Me pages with me!

For the cover page of my album, a note that one of my Swap Addicts Sisters wrote:

In 2008, a group of women found themselves in the same forum complaining about the same inability to stop swapping. Swappers Anonymous was born. We performed countdowns, provided encouragement, and challenged each other to follow through. As we went through the process of getting ready for Convention, we found we enabled a lot more swapping between us than just cards. We swapped stories of family and festivities. We swapped experiences with health issues, parenthood challenges, creative dinner ideas, work debacles, and great crafting ideas. We swapped opinions without fear of another’s response in an environment where honesty was respected and expected and someone was always able to find the positive. We swapped avatars, swapped belated birthday cards, swapped cupid & peep gifts. After a year, we even swapped sites! What originated as a support group for stamping addicts who over-commit transformed into an online family that will remain committed to one another forever. A group we call SA Sisters.

2 comments:

Debbi said...

What an awesome page Mary! And how cool to get "about me" pages from all your friends. Way better than a high school yearbook! Thank you for sharing the piece about SA.

Anonymous said...

Mary, what a great challenge! I am very blessed to be in on this wonderful group of amazing women and have these AAM pages from all of them.

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