There are so many different things I want to share with you about the past couple of days at the Scrapbook Expo but where do I even begin? It would take me typing from now until next week (and this post is long enough!) to pack in all the details of unloading my little van (amongst all the semi-trucks!) at the Gaylord loading docks to meeting amazing crafters, re-connecting with friends, meeting new ones and then packing it all back up again in my van.
It was a whirlwind couple of days and I'm exhausted. I even lost my voice (does that tell you how much talking I was doing?) but I would do it all over again in a minute because it was just - amazing!
There is one story in particular that I just have to share! (Right now I really should be napping and trying to recuperate a little but I'm just so excited about this!) On the first day of the show, one of the people I met was a man named Richard.
He had come by our booth and stopped in to look at some of our samples. We got to talking and I asked him my usual set of questions like, "Are you familiar with Stampin' Up!?", "Do you have the current catalogs?", etc. While we were talking, I couldn't shake the feeling that he seemed so familiar. Like maybe our paths have crossed before but for the life of me, I couldn't remember. So, the rest of our day continued with a flurry of more people coming and going and I didn't think much more about it.
Now day 2: Richard comes back by the booth and says he'd like to place an order. "That's great!", I think to myself, "A man who likes Stampin' Up!" So, he sits down and begins to write out his order and he's flipping through the catalog and he doesn't ask me where to find any particular item, he just seems to know where everything is located and how to fill out the order form, etc.
I asked him, "How do you know so much about Stampin' Up!?". Then Sharon chimes in and says to him, "Didn't I see you before at the Stampin' Up! Leadership event presenting on the stage? I knew you looked familiar!". Come to find out, Richard was not only a demonstrator (and has presented many times) he was with Stampin' Up! 13 years as a concept artist (you know the pictures of the projects you see in the catalogs?? Many of those are his designs!! I felt like I was standing among royalty!).
I couldn't believe it! I was in shock and awe and completely lost any train of thought and fumbled for words! Even though my voice was a cracking mess, he was the most polite, humbled person I have ever met. It took me a couple of minutes after he left my booth to think, "I need to get my picture taken with him!". So, off I ran with my friend, Amelia, and we snapped this picture:
He took time to share his creative journey with us and even though he's with Spellbinders now (sigh...), he is doing amazing things and I can't wait to see what he does for them! (And he says he will always be a fan of Stampin' Up!)
I just have to say to Richard: THANK YOU for your kindness and for your time! I loved hearing your story and wish you all the best with your new adventure!!
Is that an amazing way to finish the Scrapbook Expo or what? Now, I'm off to take that much needed nap!
