Contented Sighs...

I have yet to wipe the grin off of my face. This weekend in Calgary with the Great Canadian Scrapbook Carnival hosted by the fabulous team at Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine was simply amazing.  I marvel that I am a small part of such a team of dedicated, down-to-earth and fun loving people.  The commitment and details that go into putting a weekend event like this together would blow your mind and the fact that they are cheerfully and energetically done is even more special.

Some highlights for me:

1. The layout contest.  I LOVE seeing people's creations.  Love it.  There is so much heart involved with this craft, and it touches me every single time I look at someone's work.  And the generosity of scrapbookers warms my soul.  They share their work  and they raise money for local charities (the Children's Hospital in Calgary) with such joy.  Love it.

2. The classes. It is just so special to me to see people creating away with such pride and intensity.  The classes offered at the carnival were filled with so many techniques and lots of intensity and I love how people dive in, soak up information and make projects their own.  And I feel so proud when I watch the instructors at work.  I know the care and detail and passion they put into developing the classes for the carnival, and I love to see them in front of their students sharing, laughing and just being in the moment in their classrooms.

3. The trade show.  How can you not love having such an amazing collection of stores to shop from? But it is more than the goodies on display that I love.  I love the passion these vendors have for scrapbooking and the sense of playfulness they bring to the Carnival.  They are so willing to teach about different tools and products and love interacting with all of the people that come out.  The scrapbooking industry thrives and grows because of the store owners' dedication to the craft.

4. The Canadian Scrapbooker team.  Jackie and Katharina are amazing.  A-MA-ZING! Caring and honest, they draw equally amazing and talented people around them. There was a lot of work involved in putting the weekend together, but even more laughter and camaraderie shared while doing it. My hat is off to them for making it all happen with such style and joie de vivre!

And the very best part?  We get to do it again!!!!! Maybe my still sore cheeks will be recovered by Saturday for Edmonton's show.  Bring it on!!!!