Oct 16 2007
Ahhhhh, Portland, Portland! Thank you, Portland!
Have you ever spent some deliciously special time in a brand new-to-you place, with heartwarming interactions taking place, laughter and minute-by-minute-pleasures, learning experiences available, and eye-candy treating your eyes upon visiting the out-of-hotel venues along the roads? Well …. that’s a little bitty peek into the weekend I’ve just experienced in Portland, Oregon. Four hours of direct flight are required to reach the beautiful, fall-colored extravaganza of the Oregon countryside. 
But every single minute of the flight is well worth the cramped travel space … every moment! None of my many, many pictures capture the plentiful beauty of Oregon itself. 
Instead, my photos are focused on the events, the wonderful friends and new friends, the Stampin’ Up! event, and the delicious fellowship of stamping women. My memories within include everything … the sights, the colorful fall turning of the foliage, the hills, the lush green landscape up and down … the women, the friends, the discovery of new friends … it is all included in the blessings and the memories I’ve brought back home. I can only “hope” to get some or most of it into a hard-copy form for the future enjoyment!
You’ve ‘heard’ me say this before … Shelli Gardner says it as well at SU events. 
But for me, it really is about the relationships. I love stamping. I love what I do. But my life has been enriched with the people I have had the privilege of meeting through Stampin’ Up!, through my love of rubber stamping, and through Splitcoaststampers. Many, many of the women that I “need” to be in contact with frequently/weekly are women & friends that I have as a direct result of my rubber stamping affiliations. Thank you, to each and every one of you!
Portland, Oregon SU Regionals was a blessing in so many ways! I’ve reconnected with some of the most delightful women that I know!
One of them is my friend and fellow demonstrator, Jami Sibley. Additionally, I’ve connected with some women (SCS members) that I shall now always consider to be friends, yet didn’t know in person last week! Sweet, eh? This long list includes the witty and talented JulieHRR , as well as Leslie Miller. Also, I know that my visits with onestampinmama (Lisa), newtnewt (Jess) , and elyoho (Leann) will be “firsts” of many more to come. I love that feeling!
I’ll be sharing just a few little glimpses here. I’ll also share gallery experiences and samples in the SCS Gallery set up for the demonstrators at SCS in the SUB forums. *wink* Although I have to finish my photo editing to upload everywhere … I am definitely working on the editing in order to upload within the next 24 hours! UPDATE! If you have access to the SCS Demo Galleries … you can see the Demo Displays here!
Yes! I visited again with Shelli Gardner, SU CEO. 
This was the first time I’ve had the oppoortunity to speak with her for several minutes at one time. I also had the pleasure of spending a “group time” of over 45 minutes with SU’s own Linda Hansen. She actually took notes of the suggestions that our delightful group wanted to share with her! Our comments included things that we would LOVE to see from SU, as well as the new things we ‘do not love’. Linda noted the good and the ‘bad’. *wink* What a sweet day our group was able to spend together at the regionals training event itself!
Many of you are possibly “solo” stampers. Many of the rest are possibly “people persons”, who share the stamping bug with your customers and friends. I felt the feelings of both groups while I was in Portland. 
I soaked up and savored the learning opportunities, the business training, as well as new stamping knowlege. One of my sweetest stamping friends, Cambria, was actually called to demonstrate a “WOW” technique onstage for Stampin’ Up! How exciting can it get?!? Way to go, dear Cambria (Camilicious!) 
After all … isn’t that why we plan to attend SU training events? If you are not a demonstrator, these pictures and the summary probably seem boring to you. However, these pics are a window peek into my current business life … as well as a bit of my personal life. Some of the pictured women are friends that I have known previous to this Oregon visit .. and will remain so far into the future. Without our friends, everything seems different. If you are not a Stampin’ Up! demo, perhaps you’re interested in stamping due to your attraction to SplitcoastStampers! 
I’m always quick to bow to SCS, for bringing me closer to the art of rubber stamping. And now? SCS has grown exponentially. If you desire to learn more techniques, more projects, more general ideas per stamp set … more contact with those who share your love of rubber stamping, then Splitcoaststampers is a place for you! Please send me a PM when you have questions or concerns. That’s part of my reason for being here! Don’t be shy!
I will be uploading many display photos to the SCS Gallery within the coming 24 hours.
For now … Happy Stamping to each of you!
{{{{stampin’ hugs}}}}}
~Tex
15 responses so far
Sounds like a lovely, lovely time! Thank you for including the colors of fall as well – a real treat to me. Your buddies are among my favorites as I’ve learned and grown as a solo stamper. With thanks to all of you and SCS. ~Lynn
Hello, I’ve missed you. It seems you had a great time in Oregon. I can read your excitement between the words.
Hi! I was at the dinner and I didn’t make it around to meet you…darn it! Sounds like you had a great time, as I did! Love your blog and your artwork!
I’m soaking all of this in, through your story! Thanks so much, and I love all of your photos! It’s so great to see all of the familiar faces. Ones of whom I hope I will have the opportunity to meet some day. 🙂
My fondest memory of the whole trip was how much you savored every moment, every sight and experience. I loved how deeply you felt it all, and your enjoyment created all the more for everyone else. What a sincere pleasure it was to meet you and spend this time with all these wonderful stamping friends!
I’m glad you loved Portland. I live about 100 miles south and love to go there. Did you eat at any great resturants that you would like to share or were all your meals included?
I love to gather a list of things to do when I go to Portland.
Thanks,
Dana
ditto what Leslie said! You are a true delight yourself Sweet Tex! Even though I live here, I felt I experienced a new depth to my own surroundings because of you! I treasure the hugs, laughter and good times!
Now… he “told” me to shake my head to make sure that microphone didn’t come off! LOL.
Oh my dear sweet friend…. I love ya more than words can say. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have such wonderful friends! Until we meet again, it will be long distance hugs!! 🙂
LOVE YA BABE!!!
~C
Oh Tex – you expressed the pure JOY of the trip so beautifully! I still can’t get over what an incredible time it was!
[…] We were happy to get home last night and very exhausted. I just had to share a little more about Portland before moving on. I must say that my friend Bev (TexasGrammy) expressed so beautifully so much of how I feel about the trip – please check out the post on her blog Savor the Journey. […]
Wow Bev, you got me crying! Beautifully written!
Oh, I so enjoyed looking at your pictures and reading your text — it sounds like you all had such a very wonderful time — I only wish that someday maybe I could meet some of my SCS friends — who knows!!!! Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful pictures with all of us!!!
hi grammy! it was so nice to meet you finally, definitely a highlight of the weekend.
Hi Bev,
So wish I could have gone! I haven’t seen you in quite a while and we both live in Texas!!! Shame shame…. Maybe soon we’ll get to hug in person again.
Hi Bev
I met you way down where you were sitting on Friday. I am Sue Jacobsen and I am one of the stampers that is battling *breast cancer*…thus the short hair. My SCS name is blueonblue and since I have been home for a year, I have had lots of time for stamping, scrapping, creating and using most of whatever energy I have putting together classes (to keep active mostly!)
Because I live fairly far away from my upline upline, who does provide nice classes and business training, I decided to find some local *orphan* demos and get a group started. This has been a great asset for all of us, I hope! 10 of us got together and hosted a fair booth locally and our booth won THE BLUE RIBBON for best booth. One of the OR senators stopped by to make a card for his wife!
Since I absolutely loved your photo wallet tutorial, I immediately came home Friday night and designed one using the new set we received at Regionals. I filled it with a friends son’s wedding photos and gave it as a gift…so now I have to make another one.
I live in Portland and look forward to the Regionals every other year, this being my 3rd. I would like them to come thru each year as I cannot afford to attend the Convention. The Regional is a wondeful resource for all of us and I was very impressed with everything presented. It seemed the focus was holidays, which isnt always the case, and because I do not participate in them, I take what is shown and rework into something non holiday for myself and my customers. This has been working for me for over 5 years now.
I am so happy you and your friends came all this way to merge with our area of stampers, see the beauty of the great NW and renew and make new friends. Since the Regional I decided to make my $24.95 offering in support of SCS. I see the benefits up close and personal and SCS has been there for me this past year even when all I could do was look thru the samples.
Welcome to the NW and hope to see you again. Sue Jacobsen, West Linn, OR (about 20 minutes from the Convention Center).