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Creating...

Another CHA is right around the corner. I can't believe that time has flown by so quickly, and here we are just a month away from another CHA show. While I've made the decision to not attend this show, I have been busy working on samples for the Maya Road booth. It really has been SO good for me to have the creative release from everything else to work on creating. I can let all of the work stress, heath stress, and financial stress and just play.

Maya Road really has some awesome new items on their release list. I honestly can't wait to share them with you. I know you'll fall in love with them just as much as I have. Some of the new releases are both items you'll instantly recognize as being true Maya Road style,. Some of the others though, are totally new. I really can't wait to share them with you, and hear your opinions and thoughts on them.

Teresa McFayden has added a new e-Zine to her Paper Bella Studio collection of fun and had titled it "Winter-Bella." As always, Teresa has provided an awesome source of inspiration. So far, I've been greatly inspired and have really REALLY enjoyed reading everyone else's comments and creations. If you're looking for something to inspire you, or to perhaps turn you in a different creative direction, I highly encourage you to check out her e-Zine. She will provide you with projects, templates, techniques, humor, creativity and so much more. You provide the supplies! How great is that?! I am sure you're a lot like me and have more supplies than you can possibly use in a lifetime (or 12). I love that I can follow her instructions and templates - but use MY stash. Brilliant idea!

Last month I joined in for "The 12 Days of Comfort & Joy" e-Zine and had a blast reading all of her creative ideas, and enjoying the gorgeous creations she shared and that the other participants shared in our Flickr group. While I didn't have the time to create most of the projects, I did make sure to save them and all of the templates so that I can set them aside to and make them later.

With the other craziness going on in my life, I am still planning and am scheduling to teach my classes at The Pad. I will continue to teach "Beyond Basics" and am adding another series called "Beyond the Page". Every once in a while I also participate in our team teaching events, like Cardapalooza. Beyond Basics is a very basic, introductory level class. It's designed for scrappers who have taken an introductory scrapbooking class, and want to learn more. We usually create a two page layout (and most of the time a bonus project) and I generally focus on how to use basic tools, and introduce basic techniques. My new class, Beyond the Page, will be generally be project based and will share ways to use your scrapbooking supplies, but not on scrapbook pages.

Another exciting turn in my creating life, is Something Splendid. On a handful of occasions I've been invited to come and create with friends at scrapbooking retreats. I love being able to get away from home and create for a night or a weekend with friends. A few friends shared that while they love to go to retreats to get away and enjoy catching up on their scrapbooking, they would love to have the opportunity to take a class and learn additional skills/techniques while they're away at the retreat. After much thought and consideration, I've accepted a few private teaching appointments and will continue to book classes as requests and my schedule allows.

Creating, whether it be crafting or cooking, is super important to me. I find that when I create, I have a release. I know you know what I mean. While there can also be a significant amount of stress involved in creating, it's generally stress I put upon myself. It's nothing like the stress that regular life issues can bring. I can definitely handle creating stress. Can't you?
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Still Catching Up...

Gosh.... So it's 3 in the morning and despite being exhausted, I can't sleep! Argh! I hate it when this happens. I was so snug in my bed, and I know I slept for at least a few hours so there's something going for me. Anywho, since I can't sleep, I'm going to take the time and update. LOL...

So, yes it's true. I have been working an absolutely crazy amount of hours at work. When I changed jobs and started handling the QA/QC job, I started working some really strange and unusual hours to meet the needs of the various teams. About 6 weeks ago though, I was asked to help out another team during their management team restructuring (know what I'm saying?). While helping out, I've REALLY worked insane hours and I mean INSANE. As a result, everything around me has needed to change - or the way I function (or don't) has had to change.

I haven't had the time to update here, hang out at The Pad (I really do enjoy working with the great gals there - and I will continue just in a less active role), get pedicures, sleep, or even just hang out. My laundry has piled up (and awesome Steve has done it ALL!), we've eaten a crazy amount of quick food (mostly fast food), and my studio has now branched into two rooms (which is a HUGE problem!).

In the middle of all that crazyness, I went to the doctor to have a few spots checked out on my shoulders and back. If you've met me in real life, you may have noticed how very fair skinned I am. That means I burn incredibly easy in the sun. Incredibly. Easy. Knowing my bodies penchant for cancer, off to the doctor I went. I had a few spots which I thought ought to be checked out. He did a few punches, and razored off a few others. All of the spots I wanted checked came out perfectly fine. No problems at all.

The spots I didn't consider though, and that my doctor did, didn't come back fine. Most of them came back as Basal Cell Carcinoma and a few of the others came back as Melanoma. My doctor is very confident that with a few more punches and some regular monitoring, we'll be able to gather the rest of the "bad" cells, and eradicate it from my skin. While it won't be comfortable, and I will need to take a few days of much needed time off from work, it is totally survivable and livable.

The warning I want to pass to you is what really caught me off guard. Both of these types of cancer would normally have shown up in spots where I had some sun exposure. The shocking thing (at least it was to me) is that the spots my doctor found, were in locations that would never and have never, been exposed to sunlight. They're on my side, and on my lower back. I've always been a fairly modest person, and due to my extreme weight (before I lost the weight) would never EVER have worn a swim suit which would have exposed these parts of my back. In fact, the spots my doctor was initially suspicious about, are super small.

To me, these spots looked like very small freckles. VERY small freckles. They are flat, smooth, and nothing which I would ever have given a second look at. I have photos that I intended to share with you, but haven't been able to edit them so that you can see what I'm talking about. I've been very private with many of my previous health issues, and I was going to keep this to myself too. Then, I read that skin cancer is more common than any other kind of cancer and that most people don't even realize they have it. I know I didn't. So, my hope is that by sharing this part of myself, you'll be more aware of your body and perhaps if you have something that looks suspicious have it checked out. Who knows what may have happened if I hadn't had mine looked at.
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Answers...

So many creative responses to my last post! I love it... and so did everyone else who read them!

The answer to what's in common between the three images in my last post is this...

For some time (and even more so since being bitten by the soldering bug) I have wanted to take a class from the infamous Sally Jean in Portland, Oregon. A few weeks ago, one of my sweet Bella friends sent a message to share that Sally had scheduled two weekends in 2008 where she would teach small groups of students in her studio. I immediately looked into the possibilities and it didn't seem that I would be able to take advantage of this awesome opportunity due to work and other obligations (more details to come). However, the stars aligned and everything worked out in my favor to be able to attend one of Sally's classes.

The even cooler thing about going to Portland is that I will be able to visit with Sheri, my birth mother (for those of you who don't know, I'm adopted. My birthmother found me about 6 years ago). I don't often get the opportunity to visit with her, but I always enjoy and cherish our time together. Last year my great grandmother, June, moved to Portland to be closer to Sheri and her sister (my aunt) Candy and her husband. A few months later, my grandparents (Linette and Jim) also joined the party in Portland and relocated.

So, when I finally was able to pick one of the two classes I immediately wanted to do which ever was soonest - it's so hard to wait for something exciting you know is coming. So, I did a bit of rescheduling and shifting with my schedule - and somehow it all worked out. I will get to enjoy Sally Jean's brilliant classes in February.

But... back to the three images.

No, that isn't the Queen in the photos. Well, not the Queen of England anyway. She is though, the grand Queen of my biological family and I will be so incredibly thrilled to get to celebrate her 91st birthday while I am in Portland. Yes, that's right... both of these events will occur on the very same weekend. How absolutely fantastically awesome is that? Seriously!

P.S. The third image is of the current Somerset Studio magazine, in which you can read a great article on Sally Jean and her studio!

P.P.S. I am in SERIOUS search of a scrapbooking photographer in the Portland area. I would REALLY love to have journalistic style photos taken with my biological family while we're all together. We've had professional photos done, but really.... I'm a casual kind of girl. If I can find someone in the scrapbooking world, I would be beyond thrilled! If you have any referrals, or recommendations I would SERIOUSLY appreciate it!
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So much to say...

Yet, seriously so little time to say it. I have much to update on! Oh so much! Warnings, great news, photos, fun times and lots of love! Until then though, can you guess what these three things have in common? If you already know - no fair guessing!



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