EK Success has sent us a very nice package of goodies and other items are arriving every day! We're counting down the hours now until tomorrow night!
I want to say a heartfelt thank you for everyone who has donated, whether it has been time, money, or resources! It is amazing to see how generous people are and how much they care for people they have never met, but know they are in need. We have the privilege of being in our homes with our families to celebrate this Independence Day holiday. We live in a country where our freedoms are celebrated, but yet we still have our eyes and our hearts on those who have no home to celebrate in or family to celebrate with because they have been lost to senseless tragedy or they are serving our country overseas and around the globe in harms way to secure our right to celebrate. I am proud to live in a caring community (with many gifted crafters!) that is willing to give of it's time and resources to help others. I hope you can find a minute in your busy schedule to stop and give thanks to God for what He has given us and what He continues to do through us! ~Vicki
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
CRAFT IT FORWARD FOR JOPLIN FAQs
Well, we're getting closer to the CRAFT IF FORWARD FOR JOPLIN event! This is such a great event because you don't have to be a scrapbooker or cropper to enjoy what we are doing! We have great stuff planned for the card table. We have door prizes, and ANYONE can make a card! The auction is also open to the public for bidding and you can shop for free too! I'll be updating these questions as we go. We still have open seats for the crop, so GET ON BOARD! Help us help Joplin! We have extended the deadline to register to Thursday and you can walk in on either day. If you would like to crop and help raise money for Joplin, but can't do more than five hours, you can come and crop for $5 an hour. This includes snacks and drinks but not meals.
So, here are some FAQs for the event this weekend.
WHAT IS THE COST TO ATTEND?
The registration fee is $35 plus the donation of a cleaning item and bringing a snack. We've got everything else covered. :-) Checks should be made out to Convoy of Hope with Craft It Forward for Joplin on the memo line. I can also take credit cards and PayPal per the flyer.
DO I HAVE TO SPEND THE NIGHT?
No, you can come and go as you please! There will be somebody in the the building for the full 24-hours. We have set aside a "quiet room" where anyone can take a nap, eat their food, whatever.
WHAT IF I ONLY WANT TO COME ON SATURDAY? IS PRICING DIFFERENT?
You are more than welcome to come just for Saturday but the registration price is the same since it is a charity event and ALL proceeds to CONVOY OF HOPE. It is a tax-deductible donation. We do have a "quiet" room if you want to catch some zzz's at the church.
WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING? WHAT KINDS OF TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE?
Whatever you want! To start with, don't forget to bring your cleaning donation (wet wipes, paper towels, detergent, etc.) and a snack (chips, cookies, finger food, candy, etc.) You may also want to think about bring a small lamp/light. The auditorium lighting is not super bright. You can scrapbook, craft, work on jewelry, do some home deco, make cards, whatever you enjoy doing. I will have my tools up there for the event including my Vagabond and all of Tim's dies, the Spellbinder Grand Calibur and all my Spellbinder Dies (I have HUGE collection of those), my Cricut Expressions and my cartridges, a Bigshot, a 7 Gypsies electric punch binder, Crop-a-diles, cutters (guillotine & Fiskars), Bind-it-All, Cinch (with coils for both), a Creatopia, Zutter Distresser, bunches of punches, Hammers, eyelet setters, glue guns, Melt Pot, Embossing Guns (3), StampMaker, scissors, rulers, pens and pencils, etc.
HOW DOES A PROGRESSIVE AUCTION WORK?
All items are displayed and numbered, with a corresponding sheet to go with each item. Each item has a starting bid amount (which is low). You'll write in your name and your bid amount. Each item increments in bids by a minimum at $1 with some item having $5, $10 or $20 increments depending on the total value of the item being auction. Remember, this is a FUNDRAISER for a great cause and your money goes to Convoy of Hope and is tax deductible. If you try to increment the bid in the amounts other than stated, the bid falls back to last person to properly increment the bid. You can see what everyone else is bidding and that is where the fun comes in! We can have our own Storage Wars! The Auction is open to the general public, anyone can come in and bid on an item, not just crop attendees. At EXACTLY 4p, all bidding will stop, pens down, back away from the table. :-) We will then announce who has won each item. You will need to pay for it to take it, we accept cash, checks, credit cards (VISA, MasterCard or Discover) or PayPal (if you use a credit card or PayPal, we will add 3% to the price to cover our processing costs). If you cannot be present at the announcement of the winners, you HAVE to make arrangements to leave us some form of payment or method to reach you. All items MUST be picked up by 6p or they revert to the previous valid bidder, unless you make prior arrangements. The Arrow Metal Shed will be delivered to the winner but it is up to you to assemble it. The photography package will have details on how to arrange your photo shoot. The photographer will come to you. Each item will have a complete description of what it is. May the best bidders win!
WILL THERE BE T-SHIRTS TO BUY?
Yes, we will have embroidered t-shirts that can be purchased or ordered. (Kid's sizes too!)
WHAT MEALS, SNACKS AND DRINKS WILL WE HAVE?
Friday supper Buckingham BBQ served at 8p, Saturday breakfast will be bagels donated by Panera along with some donuts at 9a, Saturday lunch is Ott's lasagne, salad and bread sticks at 12p. If everyone brings a snack, we should be covered on munchies, cookies, etc. Tea, Lemonade, Water, and Coffee will be supplied. Sodas available for a dirt-dog cheap price! We may even have some additional beverages available, still working on that. :-) The food is going to be awesome, we had a VERY generous donation from Spook and Liz Whitener at Trailiner, so you will not suffer for food!
CAN I LEAVE MY STUFF OVERNIGHT AND IT BE SAFE?
Someone will be up at the church at all times, so you can leave your stuff Friday night if you would rather sleep in your own bed. :-) We do have a quiet room if you want to bring a sleeping bag and snooze. We have couches and tables for lounging as well.
WILL THERE BE VENDORS THERE?
Yes, I will have most of my store up there with additional things available at my house about four blocks away. We have other vendors too, we are working on finalizing that list. Also, Hobby Lobby northside is very close, as is Walmart, the Dollar Store, and other kinds of stores too. I carry Tim Holtz, Ranger, Maya Road, Teresa Collins/PhotoCentric, Webster's Studio, 7Gypsies, SpellBinders, Sizzix, Ten Seconds Studio, Kaisercraft, Viva Decor, Cousins Jewelry beads and findings, Soldering Kits, Graphic 45, Pink Paisley, and some cardstock, basic adhesives, and more. You can special order anything for a 20% discount. We will have catalogs and a computer available so we can look up your item.
IS THERE GOOD PARKING AND EASY ACCESS INTO THE BUILDING FOR MY STASH?
Yes, we have at least three entrances to the building, all ramped and accessible. This is a NICE facility! There is parking all away around the building close in, so not lots of walking. The church is located in the NorthBridge Shopping Center. From I-44 take the Glenstone exit. Turn north on Glenstone. After you pass over I-44 the first real traffic light is at McClernon (which turns into Norton Road, the Waffle House is on your left), go through it. The second light is Valley WaterMill Road (there's a gas station, a restaurant and the Dollar Store to your right). Go through that light. You'll go about 1/4 of a mile and see the NorthBridge Shopping Center on your left. Take the first street that turns left after passing the shopping center, StoneRidge (there is a sign for the Hickory Ridge neighborhood) and Hales' Fireworks are your landmarks. The church faces StoneRidge and is the entire building that comprises the L shape of the shopping center. Park anywhere you want. You should see my Conquest Keepsakes sign.
WILL THERE BE THINGS TO DO OTHER THAN CROPPING AND CRAFTING?
You betcha! We will be teaching techniques throughout both days, we have a few games/contests for you, and the cardmaking station for you to make a card for a survivor or volunteer. The Card Station is also open to the public to make a card for Joplin. We will be demonstrating how to make an Easel Card and a Center Step card, both cards are meant to be displayed. We will be teaching Tim-spiration techniques, how to use the StampMaker, ALL the Viva products, and how to make a personalized shirt, among other things (if you want to do the shirt, please bring a black shirt (this works best, but any dark color works) in your size, 100% Cotton—it is very important that it be 100% cotton and a dark color. Walmart has them for $4 and you can find them at Hobby Lobby and Michael's too. We will also have some lawn games set up if you want to go out for a bit of fresh air. :-) Croquet and Horseshoes anyone? We also have a surprise activity themed for the holiday weekend.
I'll add more questions and auction items as I get them! :-D
So, here are some FAQs for the event this weekend.
WHAT IS THE COST TO ATTEND?
The registration fee is $35 plus the donation of a cleaning item and bringing a snack. We've got everything else covered. :-) Checks should be made out to Convoy of Hope with Craft It Forward for Joplin on the memo line. I can also take credit cards and PayPal per the flyer.
DO I HAVE TO SPEND THE NIGHT?
No, you can come and go as you please! There will be somebody in the the building for the full 24-hours. We have set aside a "quiet room" where anyone can take a nap, eat their food, whatever.
WHAT IF I ONLY WANT TO COME ON SATURDAY? IS PRICING DIFFERENT?
You are more than welcome to come just for Saturday but the registration price is the same since it is a charity event and ALL proceeds to CONVOY OF HOPE. It is a tax-deductible donation. We do have a "quiet" room if you want to catch some zzz's at the church.
WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING? WHAT KINDS OF TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE?
Whatever you want! To start with, don't forget to bring your cleaning donation (wet wipes, paper towels, detergent, etc.) and a snack (chips, cookies, finger food, candy, etc.) You may also want to think about bring a small lamp/light. The auditorium lighting is not super bright. You can scrapbook, craft, work on jewelry, do some home deco, make cards, whatever you enjoy doing. I will have my tools up there for the event including my Vagabond and all of Tim's dies, the Spellbinder Grand Calibur and all my Spellbinder Dies (I have HUGE collection of those), my Cricut Expressions and my cartridges, a Bigshot, a 7 Gypsies electric punch binder, Crop-a-diles, cutters (guillotine & Fiskars), Bind-it-All, Cinch (with coils for both), a Creatopia, Zutter Distresser, bunches of punches, Hammers, eyelet setters, glue guns, Melt Pot, Embossing Guns (3), StampMaker, scissors, rulers, pens and pencils, etc.
HOW DOES A PROGRESSIVE AUCTION WORK?
All items are displayed and numbered, with a corresponding sheet to go with each item. Each item has a starting bid amount (which is low). You'll write in your name and your bid amount. Each item increments in bids by a minimum at $1 with some item having $5, $10 or $20 increments depending on the total value of the item being auction. Remember, this is a FUNDRAISER for a great cause and your money goes to Convoy of Hope and is tax deductible. If you try to increment the bid in the amounts other than stated, the bid falls back to last person to properly increment the bid. You can see what everyone else is bidding and that is where the fun comes in! We can have our own Storage Wars! The Auction is open to the general public, anyone can come in and bid on an item, not just crop attendees. At EXACTLY 4p, all bidding will stop, pens down, back away from the table. :-) We will then announce who has won each item. You will need to pay for it to take it, we accept cash, checks, credit cards (VISA, MasterCard or Discover) or PayPal (if you use a credit card or PayPal, we will add 3% to the price to cover our processing costs). If you cannot be present at the announcement of the winners, you HAVE to make arrangements to leave us some form of payment or method to reach you. All items MUST be picked up by 6p or they revert to the previous valid bidder, unless you make prior arrangements. The Arrow Metal Shed will be delivered to the winner but it is up to you to assemble it. The photography package will have details on how to arrange your photo shoot. The photographer will come to you. Each item will have a complete description of what it is. May the best bidders win!
WILL THERE BE T-SHIRTS TO BUY?
Yes, we will have embroidered t-shirts that can be purchased or ordered. (Kid's sizes too!)
WHAT MEALS, SNACKS AND DRINKS WILL WE HAVE?
Friday supper Buckingham BBQ served at 8p, Saturday breakfast will be bagels donated by Panera along with some donuts at 9a, Saturday lunch is Ott's lasagne, salad and bread sticks at 12p. If everyone brings a snack, we should be covered on munchies, cookies, etc. Tea, Lemonade, Water, and Coffee will be supplied. Sodas available for a dirt-dog cheap price! We may even have some additional beverages available, still working on that. :-) The food is going to be awesome, we had a VERY generous donation from Spook and Liz Whitener at Trailiner, so you will not suffer for food!
CAN I LEAVE MY STUFF OVERNIGHT AND IT BE SAFE?
Someone will be up at the church at all times, so you can leave your stuff Friday night if you would rather sleep in your own bed. :-) We do have a quiet room if you want to bring a sleeping bag and snooze. We have couches and tables for lounging as well.
WILL THERE BE VENDORS THERE?
Yes, I will have most of my store up there with additional things available at my house about four blocks away. We have other vendors too, we are working on finalizing that list. Also, Hobby Lobby northside is very close, as is Walmart, the Dollar Store, and other kinds of stores too. I carry Tim Holtz, Ranger, Maya Road, Teresa Collins/PhotoCentric, Webster's Studio, 7Gypsies, SpellBinders, Sizzix, Ten Seconds Studio, Kaisercraft, Viva Decor, Cousins Jewelry beads and findings, Soldering Kits, Graphic 45, Pink Paisley, and some cardstock, basic adhesives, and more. You can special order anything for a 20% discount. We will have catalogs and a computer available so we can look up your item.
IS THERE GOOD PARKING AND EASY ACCESS INTO THE BUILDING FOR MY STASH?
Yes, we have at least three entrances to the building, all ramped and accessible. This is a NICE facility! There is parking all away around the building close in, so not lots of walking. The church is located in the NorthBridge Shopping Center. From I-44 take the Glenstone exit. Turn north on Glenstone. After you pass over I-44 the first real traffic light is at McClernon (which turns into Norton Road, the Waffle House is on your left), go through it. The second light is Valley WaterMill Road (there's a gas station, a restaurant and the Dollar Store to your right). Go through that light. You'll go about 1/4 of a mile and see the NorthBridge Shopping Center on your left. Take the first street that turns left after passing the shopping center, StoneRidge (there is a sign for the Hickory Ridge neighborhood) and Hales' Fireworks are your landmarks. The church faces StoneRidge and is the entire building that comprises the L shape of the shopping center. Park anywhere you want. You should see my Conquest Keepsakes sign.
WILL THERE BE THINGS TO DO OTHER THAN CROPPING AND CRAFTING?
You betcha! We will be teaching techniques throughout both days, we have a few games/contests for you, and the cardmaking station for you to make a card for a survivor or volunteer. The Card Station is also open to the public to make a card for Joplin. We will be demonstrating how to make an Easel Card and a Center Step card, both cards are meant to be displayed. We will be teaching Tim-spiration techniques, how to use the StampMaker, ALL the Viva products, and how to make a personalized shirt, among other things (if you want to do the shirt, please bring a black shirt (this works best, but any dark color works) in your size, 100% Cotton—it is very important that it be 100% cotton and a dark color. Walmart has them for $4 and you can find them at Hobby Lobby and Michael's too. We will also have some lawn games set up if you want to go out for a bit of fresh air. :-) Croquet and Horseshoes anyone? We also have a surprise activity themed for the holiday weekend.
I'll add more questions and auction items as I get them! :-D
Friday, June 24, 2011
CHA is Creeping up!
Yes, it is that time of year again, time for the summer CHA show in July. If you've been watching your favorite company's blogs, you will start seeing sneak peaks of new products that are being introduced this summer and throughout the fall and winter. As usual, I will be attending the summer show and will be taking pre-orders on new products. This year, we're doing 20% off on pre-orders pre-paid up front. So get the lastest, get it first, and get it at a discount for being such an eager beaver!
~Vicki
~Vicki
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Check Out the New Items Added to the Auction!
Just a quick update...there are new items in red in the post below that have been added to the Silent Auction list, as well as a direct link to the PDF of the flyer/registration form at the NorthBridge Church website (link is in the post below too). Spook and Liz Whitener from Trailiner has generously donated all the food for the dinner Friday night and lunch on Saturday! Nikki from Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker is donating goodie bags for all the attendees, so don't miss out!
Monday, June 20, 2011
CRAFT IT FORWARD FOR JOPLIN
Conquest Keepsakes & NorthBridge Baptist Church Present
CRAFT IT FORWARD FOR JOPLIN
A 24-Hour crop to raise money for the Joplin Tornado Victims
Starting 6:00 pm Friday, July 1 to 6:00 pm Saturday, July 2 at
NORTHBRIDGE BAPTIST CHURCH
3765 N State Highway H (N. Glenstone)
Springfield, MO 65803
24 Hours of Crafting & Cropping Fun for $35
& a cleaning product donation!
CRAFT IT FORWARD FOR JOPLIN
A 24-Hour crop to raise money for the Joplin Tornado Victims
Starting 6:00 pm Friday, July 1 to 6:00 pm Saturday, July 2 at
NORTHBRIDGE BAPTIST CHURCH
3765 N State Highway H (N. Glenstone)
Springfield, MO 65803
24 Hours of Crafting & Cropping Fun for $35
& a cleaning product donation!
All proceeds will go to Convoy of Hope to benefit the Joplin Tornado Victims. For every dollar donated to Convoy of Hope, they can turn it into $7! What a great way to know that your gift will have a great impact in helping these families move forward through this distressing time! All proceeds from the progressive auction will also go to Convoy of Hope. Product donations needs are cleaning supplies like wet wipes, detergent, disinfectant, etc. Your cleaning product donation will go along way in helping survivors and volunteers to continue to move forward in continuing recovery efforts. The first 40 people to register will receive a free "In Our Prayers Joplin Tornado, 2011" wrist band to wear to show their support. Items for the progressive auction have been donated from local businesses as well as scrapbook and crafting companies across the USA. Be the person to take home the Teresa Collin’s StampMaker so generously donated by PhotoCentric & Teresa Collins, along with many other generous donations aimed at helping raise money for those in need. Bidding is open to the public from 6pm Friday through 4pm on Saturday.
Space is limited, so register early to guarantee your space. Give up a day of your holiday weekend to help those who have no home and no where to go. Craft & Crop with your friends doing what you love to do with a common goal in mind. Check out the new technique demos being offered so you can learn to apply these techniques to your projects, pages, wearables and home decor! Use the StampMaker to make a personalized card for victims of the devastating tornado at our card-making station. We will make it worth your time and generous donations by providing supper, breakfast, lunch and drinks, but we ask that you bring a snack so we can ensure every dollar possible will go to help the families in Joplin who need it so much. Come see inspirational stories of loss, hope, faith, and generosity. Bring a sleeping bag and a pillow and camp out with us! Easy access from I-44, with lots of shopping and restaurants close by too.
Space is limited, so register early to guarantee your space. Give up a day of your holiday weekend to help those who have no home and no where to go. Craft & Crop with your friends doing what you love to do with a common goal in mind. Check out the new technique demos being offered so you can learn to apply these techniques to your projects, pages, wearables and home decor! Use the StampMaker to make a personalized card for victims of the devastating tornado at our card-making station. We will make it worth your time and generous donations by providing supper, breakfast, lunch and drinks, but we ask that you bring a snack so we can ensure every dollar possible will go to help the families in Joplin who need it so much. Come see inspirational stories of loss, hope, faith, and generosity. Bring a sleeping bag and a pillow and camp out with us! Easy access from I-44, with lots of shopping and restaurants close by too.
Your $35 Crop/Craft Fee will get you...
24 Hours of non-stop cropping & crafting fun Half an 8 ft table Access to electricity Friday night dinner, Saturday breakfast & lunch Coffee, Tea, Lemonade or Water to Drink Door Prizes & Raffles Progressive Auction (See what your friends are bidding & outbid them, knowing your money is going to an awesome cause! See our list of donations for you to bid on...) Presentation on Relief Efforts in Joplin Vendors to shop, with their profits going to Convoy of Hope too!
We expect this to fill fast, so if you’d like to attend, email Vicki at vconquest@conquestkeepsakes.com to hold your spot and then mail your completed form and form of payment to:
Pam Pfiefer
NorthBridge Baptist Church
3765 N. State Highway N
Springfield, MO 65803
Make checks payable to: CONVOY OF HOPE
For more information about attending, contact Pam Pfiefer, NorthBridge Baptist Church at 417-833-4830. For information regarding being a vendor for this event, contact Vicki Conquest at vconquest@conquestkeepsakes.com or call 417-350-4569. More details, and an updated list of Progressive Auction items as they are released, can be found at here on my blog and on my FaceBook page.
Just in! Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker is donating goodie bags for all the attendees, don't miss out on all the great things we have!
24 Hours of non-stop cropping & crafting fun Half an 8 ft table Access to electricity Friday night dinner, Saturday breakfast & lunch Coffee, Tea, Lemonade or Water to Drink Door Prizes & Raffles Progressive Auction (See what your friends are bidding & outbid them, knowing your money is going to an awesome cause! See our list of donations for you to bid on...) Presentation on Relief Efforts in Joplin Vendors to shop, with their profits going to Convoy of Hope too!
We expect this to fill fast, so if you’d like to attend, email Vicki at vconquest@conquestkeepsakes.com to hold your spot and then mail your completed form and form of payment to:
Pam Pfiefer
NorthBridge Baptist Church
3765 N. State Highway N
Springfield, MO 65803
Make checks payable to: CONVOY OF HOPE
For more information about attending, contact Pam Pfiefer, NorthBridge Baptist Church at 417-833-4830. For information regarding being a vendor for this event, contact Vicki Conquest at vconquest@conquestkeepsakes.com or call 417-350-4569. More details, and an updated list of Progressive Auction items as they are released, can be found at here on my blog and on my FaceBook page.
Just in! Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker is donating goodie bags for all the attendees, don't miss out on all the great things we have!
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
••••••••••••••••••••
PROGRESSIVE AUCTION ITEMS
PhotoCentric/Teresa Collins StampMaker
Arrow Metal Shed 8x10
Neighborhood Pizza Gift Certificate
The Center for Plastic Surgery Spa Services Gift Certificate
Weekend at CROPPIN’ AT THE LAKE (Lake of the Ozarks)
A Touch of Sun Free Month of Tanning
A Touch of Sun Manicure
A Touch of Sun Salon Service
AVBS (A Valaria Boss Salon) Salon Service & Product
Git Fit Bootcamp
Hand Knitted Afghans
Close to My Heart Album Pack (Bettyann Shuert)
My Creative Companion Book by Becky Higgins (Bettyann Shuert)
Viva Decor Product Gift Basket
Ranger Product Basket w/Tim Holtz autographed projects
Maya Road Product Basket
2 Sizzix Product Baskets (BigShot + Dies & Texture Boutique with folders)
Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Product Basket
8x8 Baby Book Kit from Memories by Design
Close to My Heart Gift Basket (Diane Meinhardt)
Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker
Massage Envy Gift Cards
Steak-N-Shake Gift Card
Houlihans Gift Card
Ryans Buffet for Two Gift Card
Ruby Tuesday Gift Card
Two Hour Photo Shoot from Allgood Photography, with disc of all images
Massage Envy Gift Cards
PLUS MORE ITEMS BEING ADDED DAILY!
(New items in red)
You can find the pdf download of the flyer and form at
the NorthBridge Church website
••••••••••••••••••••
PROGRESSIVE AUCTION ITEMS
PhotoCentric/Teresa Collins StampMaker
Arrow Metal Shed 8x10
Neighborhood Pizza Gift Certificate
The Center for Plastic Surgery Spa Services Gift Certificate
Weekend at CROPPIN’ AT THE LAKE (Lake of the Ozarks)
A Touch of Sun Free Month of Tanning
A Touch of Sun Manicure
A Touch of Sun Salon Service
AVBS (A Valaria Boss Salon) Salon Service & Product
Git Fit Bootcamp
Hand Knitted Afghans
Close to My Heart Album Pack (Bettyann Shuert)
My Creative Companion Book by Becky Higgins (Bettyann Shuert)
Viva Decor Product Gift Basket
Ranger Product Basket w/Tim Holtz autographed projects
Maya Road Product Basket
2 Sizzix Product Baskets (BigShot + Dies & Texture Boutique with folders)
Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Product Basket
8x8 Baby Book Kit from Memories by Design
Close to My Heart Gift Basket (Diane Meinhardt)
Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker
Massage Envy Gift Cards
Steak-N-Shake Gift Card
Houlihans Gift Card
Ryans Buffet for Two Gift Card
Ruby Tuesday Gift Card
Two Hour Photo Shoot from Allgood Photography, with disc of all images
Massage Envy Gift Cards
PLUS MORE ITEMS BEING ADDED DAILY!
(New items in red)
You can find the pdf download of the flyer and form at
the NorthBridge Church website
Thursday, May 5, 2011
CANCER UPDATE & CROP-N-SHOP MAY 7
The first thing I am going to say is that I am on narcotics for pain, so this may seem somewhat disjointed, it is hard to think straight when drugs are squirrelling with your mind! I'm going to update everyone with the latest cancer experiences, then talk about our Spring Crop-N-Shop coming up THIS Saturday (May 7), just in time for Mother's Day! [Yes, I'm nuts to go ahead with this but that's me, I can't just sit around and watch the cat hair grow...).
********************
CANCER UPDATE
I'm a bit spacey at the moment, so bear with me. My surgery was scheduled for Friday, April 29th, but I had to go in on Thursday to get a shot of radioactive trackable substance in order for them to determine the closest lymph node that picks up that area so they could do a Sentinel Node Biopsy. If I thought the needle core biopsy was bad, this was worse. It felt like someone injecting hydrochloric acid into the tissue. It burned for five minutes after the shot was done. They had to keep telling me to breathe because you want to hold your breath, it hurts! My surgery was scheduled for 7:45a the next day. Of course that meant I missed most of the Royal Wedding. Sniff. I had a bilateral mastectomy and they took three lymph nodes. Pathology shows no spread, clear margins (since they took both, I would expect that), about as good of a report as you can get and have Breast Cancer! It goes to show, screening mammograms work! They told me it was the smallest cancer they have ever caught with a mammogram. Because it was microinvasive, I do have to see an oncologist, but no radiation and no chemo, but possibly Tamoxifen for the next 5 years. I spent the night at the hospital and came home the next day. I ended up back at the ER on Sunday due to a reaction to either the anesthesia or Percocet. I rashed up good, ran a bit of a fever and had partial numbness of my right foot and leg. At least I got to see the new digs at the ER. VERY NICE!
I am recovering well, in fact, I guess I am doing things that most people can't do at this stage. Since I never saw that list, I never gave it a second thought. I still have drains in, hopefully they come out the first of next week. I am sore, tired and in a bit of pain since I am not able to take the Percocet, but it is bearable and it will soon be better. They start filling the saline temporary tissue expanders the end of May. And that is what I know for now. I want to thank everyone who prayed for me, sent me well wishes, called, came by the hospital, and all the other small things that are so important at a time like this. You all are awesome!
CROP-N-SHOP
This Saturday May 7, which is National Scrapbook Day, we are still hosting our Spring Crop-N-Shop. Diane and Janet have gone well beyond the extra mile to get everything put back together for the store and crop area. Cliff say's I'm just the talking head. :-) We will be having a sale to help reduce stock for the upcoming Summer CHA Show, demoing the StampMaker and the Viva Decor products, and of course showing all the latest Tim Holtz dies and folders. Come over and hang out with us and learn how to make your own "Prima-like" bling embellishments, make your own personalized stamps and check out our future classes. I'm still playing a little catch-up due to the cancer interruption, but we are getting back on track for some pretty fun classes. The store and crop area opens at 10a and will be available until 5p. We've got space at the tables for 12 croppers and crafters, so come on by!
Until then, Happy Crafting!
Vicki
********************
CANCER UPDATE
I'm a bit spacey at the moment, so bear with me. My surgery was scheduled for Friday, April 29th, but I had to go in on Thursday to get a shot of radioactive trackable substance in order for them to determine the closest lymph node that picks up that area so they could do a Sentinel Node Biopsy. If I thought the needle core biopsy was bad, this was worse. It felt like someone injecting hydrochloric acid into the tissue. It burned for five minutes after the shot was done. They had to keep telling me to breathe because you want to hold your breath, it hurts! My surgery was scheduled for 7:45a the next day. Of course that meant I missed most of the Royal Wedding. Sniff. I had a bilateral mastectomy and they took three lymph nodes. Pathology shows no spread, clear margins (since they took both, I would expect that), about as good of a report as you can get and have Breast Cancer! It goes to show, screening mammograms work! They told me it was the smallest cancer they have ever caught with a mammogram. Because it was microinvasive, I do have to see an oncologist, but no radiation and no chemo, but possibly Tamoxifen for the next 5 years. I spent the night at the hospital and came home the next day. I ended up back at the ER on Sunday due to a reaction to either the anesthesia or Percocet. I rashed up good, ran a bit of a fever and had partial numbness of my right foot and leg. At least I got to see the new digs at the ER. VERY NICE!
I am recovering well, in fact, I guess I am doing things that most people can't do at this stage. Since I never saw that list, I never gave it a second thought. I still have drains in, hopefully they come out the first of next week. I am sore, tired and in a bit of pain since I am not able to take the Percocet, but it is bearable and it will soon be better. They start filling the saline temporary tissue expanders the end of May. And that is what I know for now. I want to thank everyone who prayed for me, sent me well wishes, called, came by the hospital, and all the other small things that are so important at a time like this. You all are awesome!
CROP-N-SHOP
This Saturday May 7, which is National Scrapbook Day, we are still hosting our Spring Crop-N-Shop. Diane and Janet have gone well beyond the extra mile to get everything put back together for the store and crop area. Cliff say's I'm just the talking head. :-) We will be having a sale to help reduce stock for the upcoming Summer CHA Show, demoing the StampMaker and the Viva Decor products, and of course showing all the latest Tim Holtz dies and folders. Come over and hang out with us and learn how to make your own "Prima-like" bling embellishments, make your own personalized stamps and check out our future classes. I'm still playing a little catch-up due to the cancer interruption, but we are getting back on track for some pretty fun classes. The store and crop area opens at 10a and will be available until 5p. We've got space at the tables for 12 croppers and crafters, so come on by!
Until then, Happy Crafting!
Vicki
Thursday, April 21, 2011
ANOTHER CHALLENGE
This is certainly a post I never thought I would have to write. Life has been busy lately, but good. So let me tell you my story of the past couple of weeks.
We had our Children's Miracle Network crop a weekend or so ago (April 9), and it is always one of our larger crops that I LOVE to do. This year I donated at Vagabond to be raffled to help raise money for the children, and we demoed the Teresa Collins StampMaker; along with some rockin' Viva Decor products (Pearl Pens, Inka Gold, Paper Pens, Glitter pens, etc.), and it was a success! I had the best time working with the StampMaker and rather enjoyed myself. If you've not seen the StampMaker, it is pretty awesome and SOOO easy to use! Personalization to the max! But while we were setting up for the crop on Friday (the event was Saturday), I had to attend an appointment to hear the results regarding a recent run-in with a mammogram and the needle core biopsy. I just had my routine yearly screening March 30th when they called me back and told me they wanted to do a needle core biopsy of an area that looked suspicious. So on April 6th they did the biopsy and scheduled an appointment for my results for Friday that week, April 8th at 4p. (For those of you with nipple piercings, my hat's off to you, I could NEVER do that, because it felt like someone took an ice pick and jambed it in there!) We were due to set up for the crop at that time, so I sent my husband with a loaded truck and trailer on to the crop since we had limited set up time while I kept my appointment with the radiologist. I honestly thought it was a wild goose chase and a waste of my time when I needed to be somewhere else. Unfortunately, the news they gave me was not what I wanted to hear. I have breast cancer. Small curable breast cancer, so God is watching over me indeed!
Luckily (or more like God watching over me) they caught it at a very early stage. It is considered Stage I Microinvasive DCIS, approx.1cm in size. They do not feel it has spread to the Lymph Nodes yet but they will do a Sentinel Node Biopsy to make sure. Normally, this small of a cancer can be treated with Lumpectomy and Radiation. BUT, because of my Lupus and other connective tissue disorders, I am not a candidate to have radiation (I swell up after only 15 minutes in the sun). This means that I will have to have a complete mastectomy, but I can avoid the radiation and chemo (although chemo will be back on the table should the cancer have spread to he lymph nodes). My head is still reeling, it was the last thing I expected to hear.
I had a meeting with the surgeon this week where we talked about options and outcomes. They feel pretty positive about it, they feel it is curable and for that I am eternally thankful!
I meet with a Plastic Surgeon next week to work out the details, and it appears for now that my surgery will be scheduled for next Thursday or Friday (April 28th or 29th) depending on how it goes with Plastics on Tuesday next week. It will be a skin-conserving mastectomy, and for that I am thankful. I had been somewhat concerned that at the end of the mastectomy on the left side, I would end up looking like a VW Beetle in a bad car wreck with one head light looking up and the other down, you KNOW what age does to a woman! [grin] I was assured that they can take both and do reconstructive surgery to make the girls look normal. I'm hoping for a face lift while I am under (heheheheheh), I should ask for a package deal!
It has all happened so fast, it seems surreal, but I'd rather have it over with than to drag it out. So my prayer warrior friends, pray for me next week! My Sister's sister-in-law just went through all this, although her cancer was much more aggressive. She is doing great now and got engaged over the weekend. Congrats Tacy and Golden! She is going with me to see the plastics guy because she knows all the questions to ask. I can't say how thankful I am to have that kind of support!
This whole C thing has messed with my training schedule, but keep watching! We WILL be doing all of the projects seen at CMN plus starting a stamp club (where you can make your own stamps) and a metal embossing club along with our usual projects.
For those of you with special orders outstanding, we are still waiting on a few backordered LaBlanche Silicone stamps and a few other special orders. Email is going to be the best way to reach me as we'll be screening calls for the next couple of weeks. We are still doing classes as presented at CMN. I'll have details up soon. :-)
It goes without saying, Happy Crafting!
~Vicki
We had our Children's Miracle Network crop a weekend or so ago (April 9), and it is always one of our larger crops that I LOVE to do. This year I donated at Vagabond to be raffled to help raise money for the children, and we demoed the Teresa Collins StampMaker; along with some rockin' Viva Decor products (Pearl Pens, Inka Gold, Paper Pens, Glitter pens, etc.), and it was a success! I had the best time working with the StampMaker and rather enjoyed myself. If you've not seen the StampMaker, it is pretty awesome and SOOO easy to use! Personalization to the max! But while we were setting up for the crop on Friday (the event was Saturday), I had to attend an appointment to hear the results regarding a recent run-in with a mammogram and the needle core biopsy. I just had my routine yearly screening March 30th when they called me back and told me they wanted to do a needle core biopsy of an area that looked suspicious. So on April 6th they did the biopsy and scheduled an appointment for my results for Friday that week, April 8th at 4p. (For those of you with nipple piercings, my hat's off to you, I could NEVER do that, because it felt like someone took an ice pick and jambed it in there!) We were due to set up for the crop at that time, so I sent my husband with a loaded truck and trailer on to the crop since we had limited set up time while I kept my appointment with the radiologist. I honestly thought it was a wild goose chase and a waste of my time when I needed to be somewhere else. Unfortunately, the news they gave me was not what I wanted to hear. I have breast cancer. Small curable breast cancer, so God is watching over me indeed!
Luckily (or more like God watching over me) they caught it at a very early stage. It is considered Stage I Microinvasive DCIS, approx.1cm in size. They do not feel it has spread to the Lymph Nodes yet but they will do a Sentinel Node Biopsy to make sure. Normally, this small of a cancer can be treated with Lumpectomy and Radiation. BUT, because of my Lupus and other connective tissue disorders, I am not a candidate to have radiation (I swell up after only 15 minutes in the sun). This means that I will have to have a complete mastectomy, but I can avoid the radiation and chemo (although chemo will be back on the table should the cancer have spread to he lymph nodes). My head is still reeling, it was the last thing I expected to hear.
I had a meeting with the surgeon this week where we talked about options and outcomes. They feel pretty positive about it, they feel it is curable and for that I am eternally thankful!
I meet with a Plastic Surgeon next week to work out the details, and it appears for now that my surgery will be scheduled for next Thursday or Friday (April 28th or 29th) depending on how it goes with Plastics on Tuesday next week. It will be a skin-conserving mastectomy, and for that I am thankful. I had been somewhat concerned that at the end of the mastectomy on the left side, I would end up looking like a VW Beetle in a bad car wreck with one head light looking up and the other down, you KNOW what age does to a woman! [grin] I was assured that they can take both and do reconstructive surgery to make the girls look normal. I'm hoping for a face lift while I am under (heheheheheh), I should ask for a package deal!
It has all happened so fast, it seems surreal, but I'd rather have it over with than to drag it out. So my prayer warrior friends, pray for me next week! My Sister's sister-in-law just went through all this, although her cancer was much more aggressive. She is doing great now and got engaged over the weekend. Congrats Tacy and Golden! She is going with me to see the plastics guy because she knows all the questions to ask. I can't say how thankful I am to have that kind of support!
This whole C thing has messed with my training schedule, but keep watching! We WILL be doing all of the projects seen at CMN plus starting a stamp club (where you can make your own stamps) and a metal embossing club along with our usual projects.
For those of you with special orders outstanding, we are still waiting on a few backordered LaBlanche Silicone stamps and a few other special orders. Email is going to be the best way to reach me as we'll be screening calls for the next couple of weeks. We are still doing classes as presented at CMN. I'll have details up soon. :-)
It goes without saying, Happy Crafting!
~Vicki
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