Swaps, Sweets, & Retreats...does it get any better???

The past week has been exciting, exhausting, and en-vigorating ~ all at the same time.  The mailman knocked more than once, with fabulous treasures from my blog friends across the states.  I'm long overdue in posting the Enchanted Hollow Bug Swap (shame on me!)  My partner was Jennifer, who created one of my favorite bugs...a butterfly!  Here she is in all her cuteness!!

lovin' the sweet little face and all the hand details

As if this little cutie wasn't enough, I received the most beautiful handmade card from Jennifer and a fat quarter of lovely material as well!!

Here's what I sent to Jennifer, who said two of her favorite bugs are the caterpillar and the butterfly...

I was inspired by Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar - she's made from paper clay with a pipe cleaner spine

The Postman rang again and this time it was 3 amazing ATC's from the very creative and artistic Cindy from Georgia.  We were partnered for Wendy's Blissful ATC Swap for July ~ CIRCUS!  How amazing are these little creations!

Here are the cards I sent to Cindy....hmmm....seems like Cindy and I have very similar thoughts!! Great minds and all! LOL

The highlight had to be the weekend when MMU held their annual Scrapbook Retreat at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa.

Katie and Hoss greeted us with a very "sweet" welcome

door prizes

a lot of "eye candy"

but real candy!!

at everyone's place (and I left out the scrap goodies we got because they're out in the Studio and it's raining!)

I managed to get a lot of things made for the store...you can tell I was still on the Circus kick! I bought these lovelies at Altered Artifacts, and my sweet friend Inka threw in some charming "freebies" too!

I call this one "Pachyderm School"

 And I found pool time with the fam...

 Lucky me....my girls stayed overnight on Sunday so we could have a mother-daughter day on Monday!

As great as the MMU Retreat ALWAYS is, and sharing this with loving hubby and dearest daughties, I have to confess...the highlight of my weekend was the culmination of MY VERY FIRST INITIATED SWAP!!!  Yes,  I put a swap together for my scrap girls, who have patiently listened to me blather on and on about these things, but not one of them had ever participated in a swap.  Our theme was "Flea Market" and the swap was an altered 250 ct. matchbox...the BIG one.  I partnered people (I have a greater respect for administrators!!), emailed, nagged, kept tabs on everyone for a month before.  On Sunday, the last day of Retreat, we swapped matchboxes.  I was blown away by the creativity and great karma these women exuded...it was a raging success!!  We will definitely be planning on many more...here are some of the pix...

choked up with tears before I even began!

from Sandra to me

from Debbie to Alex

from Karina to Geri

from Geri to Karina

from Alex to Debbie

from Karey-Ann to Sharon

from Sharon to Karey-Ann

from Laura to Kiera (Kiera was on vacation in VT)

from me to Sandra

Here are some very sweet, happy, ladies ~ I think they may have been bitten by the swap bug!

Aren't they AWESOME!!  It was a pleasure orchestrating this swap and I'm so excited to have been able to see all the wonderful responses...something we miss when we swap via mail.
Oops!!  I almost forgot to show you what Sandra gifted me....

And what I gifted to Sandra...

Are you as tired as I am right now??? LOL  That's a lot "stuff" to take in, so on that note I'll just say this:
Have a simply fabulous week, enjoy every breath you take, be sure to tell someone you love them...and come back next week to find out what BIG event happened last Wednesday evening!!!
xoxo
Karen