SENZ

I know its been ages since I last posted and I do hope this is not a sign of things to come - but seriously folks - I am over rushing around and being so busy I don't have time to vege!

Before I get started HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE!!! I hope you have a fabulous day.I flew up to Christchurch last Wednesday, and from the touch down till lift off it was a pretty full on weekend. I loved the SENZ experience and I would definitely be keen to do it again.

I think the best part of the whole thing was doing something with my big sister and developing that childhood bond that can sometimes get lost in the rush and chaos that is adulthood. I am so pleased that Gaye and I have a common interest that we can share. Congratulations Gaye - btw - for having your name drawn as winner of the first Scrapbook Essentials Sketch Challenge - its a fabulous layout and I thought it was a buzz to see you win something on your very first entry!!
Okay back to my Christchurch trip - I distract myself!!
I spent Thursday with Miriam - huge hugs babe!!! Thank you for putting up with me and I will be thinking of you tonight!!! Miriam's sister Hannah has been nominated in the Best Gospel/Christian Album of the year, and Miriam is going to walk the red carpet with her. What an awesome experience that will be.
Friday, Gaye and I headed into SENZ and did some serious damage to our bank balances - we shopped! I spent time watching a demo for serviettes on canvases and I tell you this is my next big thing - everyone is going to get a canvas made by me!! LOL!
I found Michelle wandering around up at SENZ - woohoo photo opportunities - and we did - we had fun playing!!!We then attended my favourite SENZ class - Sequined Secrets with Kerrin Quall. The detail and work in this womans work is just awe inspiring - she is talented and I was so badly bitten by the sequin bug - move over brads - I have to make room for my now growing sequins and beads collection! My layout isnt finished for this class - the sewing and beadwork is complete - but I need a title so its sitting in my pile waiting patiently for me to be struck by inspiration.Friday night Gaye's friend Barb came over and we played with canvases and serviettes - oh what fun fun fun!!
Saturday we had to be in at SENZ with the birds to make the first class of the day which was run by Chris Miller. This lady can doodle something wicked!! And it always looks so fabulous. We had a play with the Love Elsie Roxie range. The layout when complete was stunning and just the sort of layout to 'rock' me!
Then I went and played with stamps!!! I'm not huge on stamps - they annoy me - but they are so much fun when they do as they are told! We took a class on using the same stamp for different looks and I was surprised how versatile a stamp can be - we made 3 cards and got instructions for more. And we got to keep the stamp - yay!
The classes were awesome and I learnt some great new techniques. In hindsight more classes would have been fun but this was my first SENZ and I wasn't sure what to expect.
Saturday night we got together with a bunch of SE ladies - thank you so much Tanya for arranging this and the cake was scrumptious!! We cropped, we shopped, we talked and we laughed - what a fun night! Meeting Tracy, Mich, Lynda and Vicky from SE forums was really great. I have to finish this post with a massive happy happy dance - I'm going to go to the Scrap Retreat next March in Queenstown. Meg, Sue, Rachel, Janine, Megan, Mich, Tanya, Gaye, Michele and maybe JulieMaree - to name the ones from SE going.... how gosh darn exciting can you get??!!! I am really looking forward to meeting you Janine - that will definitely be a major highlight for me!

"I wish I'd known from the beginning that I was born a strong woman.
What a difference it would have made!
I wish I'd known that I was born a courageous woman;
I've spent so much of my life cowering...
I wish I'd known that I'd been born to take on the world;
I wouldn't have run from it for so long,
but run to it with open arms.
(from Excavating Your Authentic Self by Sarah Ban Breathnach)