Love What You Do

This month Stampin Up came out with a stamp called The Statement of My Heart.  It's the vision and heart of why I enjoy Stampin Up so much.  "To love what we do and share what we love..."  For 15 years I have been a Stampin Up demonstrator and have loved all of the creative aspects of it.  I've made so many wonderful friends and opened my home to many wonderful ladies that love stamping and creating projects like I do. 

I've even shared my stamping projects with ladies and other people around the world.  In 2005 I brought my stamping supplies and stamped with the nannies at an orphanage in Bejing, China.  It was a little hard communicating, but once the ladies figured out what we were doing, their smiles said it all. 

In 2008 I went on a Missions trip to Monterrey, Mexico and brought stamping supplies with me.  I had purchased some Spanish stamps before I went and on our journeys along the way, the teen girls and I stamped "Gracias" cards for all of the people who helped us.  They loved being able to be a part of making cards for the people in Mexico, especially in their own language.

In 2015 I traveled to Uganda, Africa to teach ladies how to sew.  I stayed with a missionary couple from my church.  I brought along a stamping class for my friend Patty to have in her home so that she wouldn't feel "left out" from all of the get-togethers that we have with our friends that we take for granted here in the US.  She invited over all of the other missionary ladies that she knew and had a "girls' craft night" in her home.  She was so blessed that I had thought to do this for her.  It was a special night indeed.

A few years ago on one of my travels, I even hosted a stamp class for ladies who couldn't hear.  My friend, Catherine, who is an audiologist in Rochester, NY, has a lot of deaf friends that she thought would love to craft with me in making some cards.  So off I went and held a class for her friends.  I had to speak slowly and make sure that the ladies were looking at me when I gave them instructions so that they could read my lips.  We sure did have a lot of laughs that night. 

Anyway, I'd have to say that Stampin Up has enriched my life and I'm so glad to have been on this adventure of life with them for the past 15 years.  As I look through the new Stampin Up catalog due to come out June, a bit of excitement rises up in me.  I have given the "thumbs up" sign to the ladies who come to my home for classes.  Yes, I will commit to stamping and having classes for another year.  Who knows what adventures may come.