My love of papercrafting started back in 2005.  One of my friends had tried to get me into scrapbooking, which I was adamantly against; I was a high school teacher, not an elementary teacher like her who had to come up with creative monthly bulletin boards!  So after successfully diverting her attempts to try out her hobby, she committed what some might consider the ultimate faux pas:  buying something for my wedding not on the registry, a scrapbook.  I reluctantly attended her next “crop” (whatever that was) and to my surprise, actually completed the album in one night, adding my wedding pics to her pre-designed pages.  I was actually thrilled with the outcome, but not necessarily the process.  I then decided to attempt another project, an album of my concert-goings, since I had always wanted a medium to display my ticket stubs.  After that, I was hooked. A year later, my husband and I relocated from the east coast to the Midwest and I was alone in my new hobby.  I decided on a whim to sign up to be a consultant for Creative Memories in order to get some of my own tools which I had previously borrowed from my friend.  The adventure had begun.  After three years with CM, I switched to be a demonstrator for Stampin’ Up! which I have done since July 2011, mainly because I had since discovered Pinterest and my creativity had expanded past album making. 

Earlier this summer when CM (and Archiver's) filed chapter 11 again, SU released their 2013-2014 Annual Catalog, which had retired the small scrapbook line that it had previously carried.  Not quite sure where to turn then, I picked up my first "smashbook," Stampin' Up's This & That Epic Day Journal.  I was about to attend my 1st Stampin' Up! Convention in Utah and I needed a way to document the trip.  While this format won't work for all of my scrapbooking efforts, I was quite pleased with the outcome!  And I completed the entire album at my last Craft Night, so can't beat that!  Other supplies used included from the the Epic Day This & That line: Designer Series Paper, Remember Rotary Stamp, Washi Tape, and Designer Stickers. 

Prize Patrol was definitely the highlight of the event!  Demonstrators were given colored wristbands in their backpack; mine was Old Olive.  At various times in the general sessions, the speaker would announce a prize patrol and show a combination of products up on the screen the lucky winners would receive.  We would all scream and drool and hope our color was called.  I was talking to a person who won a prize patrol in the first session and she said she had never won before in the seven Conventions she had attended, so I didn't get my hopes up very high.  As time went on, I still hadn't won, but it appear surely we would all win.  But while I waited, I was quite content with the several all-attendee Prize Patrols in addition to the My Paper Pumpkin and Undefined kit.  Everyone won the Tags 4 You stamp set, Real Red Goodie Gear Simply Created Kit with coordinating Oh Goodie stamp set, and the Yippee Skippee! stamp set.  And then in the final general session, they called Old Olive and I won a Thanksgiving set of prizes!  The next prize patrol won a Christmas set of prizes and I got a little envious.  I decided to approach someone carrying their Christmas prize patrol to ask if they would trade.  I was shocked that the first person I asked said yes!  So now I was the proud(er) winner of the Special Season stamp set, Winter Frost Specialty Designer Series Paper, and the Gold & Silver Stampin' Glitter (but I gave the nice lady the gold for her willingness).  The next Prize Patrol was Gumball Green, the color my friend, Heather, was waiting to hear.  And then the final color to end Convention was Crushed Curry.  Only 25 demonstrators had this colored wristband (due to it being the 25th Anniversary) and those lucky winners each received-get this-every stamp set in the Holiday Catalog.  WOW.  I totaled up the free stuff I won:  about $250 worth, almost the price of the Convention.  Now to start creating!

In our backpacks, all demonstrators received the George Grunge, Hello Lovely and Tag It stamp sets.  Everyone received clear stamps, but you could trade them in for wood, if you preferred.  We also received supplies to either make & take or take & make the following projects.  The box uses the Tag A Bag Gift Boxes, the bag uses the Tag A Bag Accessory Kit, the Thankful Sack uses the Mini Muslin Bags out of the Holiday Catalog, the set of cards uses the Notecards & Envelopes set, and the thanks card was created on My Digital Studio for us and then we punched with the hexagon punch and embellished with a rhinestone to make it more of a hybrid card.  Definitely like the variety of projects they gave us to make! 

I am not sure how I broke away from the craziness of my life to spend five days halfway across the country for a girls weekend with a friend who goes back as far as middle school.  But at this time in my life, I couldn't think of a better escape.  The trip was filled with memories:  a delay in Dallas, swapping at the airport at 3:30 a.m., white backpacks everywhere, long lines, Guinness record set, make and takes, old friends from Illinois, amazing weather, stamp carving, prize patrol, and most importantly, so much inspiration.