NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH! LOOK AWAY!

You want to look, don't you? I don't blame you - I would totally look too. I just wanted to warn you that I'm going to have a picture of my finger in this update. Since many of you have been sweetly asking about my injured paw, I thought I'd show you what color it's turning. All is well, it hurts, but it looks like I have gangrene. Maybe SU! will come up with a new "in color" - poor paw purple or something. I will suggest that on my survey.

So today was great. Jaron sang a number from the Broadway Jekyll and Hyde and I just had chills the whole time. It was unreal. I really wonder why it is that so many of their corporate employees are so musical.. It's unusual to have that many professional quality singers in one company. Is there a correlation between stamping and singing? Oh wait, I am proof that there is not! =)

First, Shelli's demonstration had some amazing things. Look at this gathered "ribbon" - this is PAPER!! She made some great ornaments also that I'm totally stealing for office gifts this year.

Then - check this out - this entire dress is made out of Designer Series Paper!!!

The presenter here was Jodi Gloeckner, who

is one of the best. She showed us amazing things with the DP's. When I get home and make some I will post photos for you. She is so talented and a very funny gal.

Now - this is a shot of the "Baroness" coffee company vendor inside the convention center. Now, you ask, that is an interesting name - what is the origin of that? Oh my, I am so glad you asked. Let me tell you. YOU BECOME A FREAKING BARONESS WHEN YOU CHARGE PEOPLE $4.75 FOR A WILD CHERRY PEPSI!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost laughed out loud at the wildly good sense of humor the chap checking me out had UNTIL I REALIZED HE WAS NOT KIDDING AND I INDEED HAD TO FORK OVER A FIVER FOR A PEPSI!!! HE GLARED AT ME UNTIL I DROPPED MY LAST QUARTER IN THE WHOLE WORLD INTO THE TIP JAR. YOU WANT A TIP? I'LL GIVE YOU A TIP BUDDY - KISS MY.....

Okay, I'm back. Big news items today. SU has entered a joint marketing agreement with 3M! SU images and contact information will appear starting this fall on packaging for Scotch adhesive products! Whoopee!! Also, the covers of the August and November issues of Cards Magazine will feature Stampin' Up! and there will be Stampin' Up! web banners on selected major websites also in the fall. The new Demo website sounds promising, with a little blog section and get this - demonstrators can ELECTRONICALLY sign up on the website! So no more FedEx or rushing to get paperwork in time for a recruiting incentive.

Enough business - ready for my ugly paw? Yikes, it's hideous. But it's pretty much a normal size now and is just really sore but I can bend it. So thanks for asking everyone. I think it will be fine

Now, several of you have asked about the Jolly Roger. I have not yet solved the mystery of why the Denver Chamber of Commerce feels that it's appropriate to fly the black flag with the skull and crossbones on it on the front of their building 24 hours a day, but there are a lot of things I don't really understand about Denver. For example, yesterday, on my walk to the convention center, a nice homeless man gave me a very impassioned warning to watch out for Dracula because "he's coming back". Where was he? Did he go somewhere? And did he used to be in Denver? And really, do I need to worry about him at 8 AM? It's all so confusing. It's hard to get a good pic of the flag because it's windy, but here it is from my hotel window. Anyone know what is going on in this town? Are there pirates and vampires rampaging around the streets at night?? That was definitely not in the convention orientation info I received and I would have liked to know fun facts like that before I traveled.

On my way to lunch (in the opposite direction from sheet meat central) I passed this cute sidewalk "cave painting" that was made out of manhole covers. So original!!

Today we had another class where we got to actually make things. It was a little rushed, but we did watercolor projects, and one of them convinced me that I might actually use some of the things in the pretties kit that I wasn't thrilled about at first like the hat pins and the beads. It really made this project beautiful I think. What do you think? Actually, I just realized - there was no watercoloring on this card!! What the heck? Ha!!!

I'm getting ready to meet the Janiac at an Italian restaurant for dinner for our last free night, so maybe more later if I'm not too pooped.. Stop by - say hey!