I still call Australia HOME!!!! South Africa trip – Part 1

  
You could be forgiven for thinking these photos was taken somewhere in our wonderful country of Australia but you would be wrong.  Believe it or not it was taken on the way to Cape Point in South Africa.  I don’t think I have ever been to a place overseas that quite makes me feel like I’m at home, like South Africa does.  Even the drive down the coast made me feel like I was travelling along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.  I have to admit though that the drive to Cape of Good Hope was just a little bit more spectacular at the end….. sorry you will have to wait until Im up to that bit for those photos – as i need to go back to the start – and that is like two weeks ago.  Well actually its quite a few months ago now – when Glenda asked me again if i would like to teach at the South African Scrapbook Convention. It was a privilege to be asked in 2009 and I always said i would love to go back again but with so many lining up wanting to teach at this convention i thought it would be a little longer in between drinks, so to speak…  Thank you again Glenda (and Gary) for asking me again.  You guys do the most amazing job of organising this conference and look after us sooo well.  I felt very honoured especially when i found out who the other teachers would be.  And now after returning i couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to go away with ( I already miss them all) – they were soooo much fun.  Everyone got on really well together and hopefully lifelong friendships have formed. The other instructors were Nic Howard and hubby Paul with Basic Grey, Debby Schuh and hubby David from Pink Paislee, Stephanie Barnard and Rosanne from Ellison (Sizzix), Laura and Ginger, The Glitz Girls and Paula Cheney  from 7 Gypsies.  WOW – how much talent is there amongst them – you can see why I was a little humbled.
Well i got unplastered, just in time before i left.  Though i have to admit i was pretty shattered when the plaster came off and i still couldn’t move my wrist – guessing it will take a little bit of physo work before its completely back to normal.  And for those of you who think i am an accident waiting to happen – i didn't hurt myself whilst i was in South Africa.  Thank you very muchly…. hehehe.

Some of the team:
David and myself, Ginger (where is Laura??), Glenda (organiser), Debby and David Schuh
Paula and Jay Cheney and last but not least Nic and Paul Howard
Still to arrive is Stephanie and Rosanne.

We arrived in Johannesburg and waited for some of the other instructors who were due to arrive just after us before being taken to Emperors Palace where we taught the first four classes to apporox 450 delegates.  WOW.  I used the Kaisercraft Bonjour line which is being released in October and created a double page layout with an accordian mini book included on the layout.  It was lots of layers and a little fussy cutting (no not as much as last time…) and showed them how to make the most of the papers in the collection, including using the journal tags as accents instead of just the obvious.

Double Layout - Bonjour

Classes would not be possible of this size without the help from our gorgeous class assistants who helped us all out in both J’burg and Cape Town.  Thank you to all the delegates who welcomed me back and for all your wonderful comments about the classes that have been sent through to work.  Its truly appreciated.

Now that is a class and a half!!!!!

These cheeky girls are
Erika, Sandra, (Moiye), Kerry, Ashleigh (Team Leader), Michele, Kayleigh
In front: Natasja and Kim.
Thanks a bunch too to the other gorgeous team leaders Debbie, Natasja, Mathilda and all of your girls

Ashleigh - you always make me feel so welcome and loved!!!

OK - you all do!!!!!

Thank you sooooo much girls you truly were or should i say ARE gorgeous and made my life (all our lives) as instructors so much easier.    
   
I can’t let this opportunity go by without thanking Kylie and Richelle back at work for helping me out with some of the extra layouts we used as examples.  Your help was muchly needed and so appreciated considering i was totally useless with my broken wrist and it  two fold – not only did you pick up any errors i had in made in my instructions but having the additional layouts for the helpers to show the delegates was fantastic – thanks heaps.

Can’t let this opportunity go by without mentioning Chantel Wright, pictured with me below.  You are gorgeous and such a good sport. 

Hope you have finished your layout and if not – “Why NOT” ?????

 Poor Chantel’s face was priceless when i asked the class if everyone was finished a step and she put her hand up and said she hadn’t.  I then asked with a very straight face (as if really i could do that) and stern voice (jokingly of course) – Why Not?  I don’t think she realised i was joking at first but once realised she then told me she used to like Kaiser until then…. hehehe …. love you.....   Nothing like keeping the delegates on their toes.  It certainly is an exercise in itself though to keep those sort of numbers together in a class without losing a couple…  I hope not too many of you.

As mentioned before, I thoroughly enjoyed taking the class and meeting with many familiar faces again and making new friends.  Thanks again for making me feel so welcome.  You all live in a very special country and as i said in Cape Town it wouldn’t take too much convincing me for to shift over (for a while anyway).  There truly is no other place I have ever been to that reminds me so much of home.
Well lots more to share but this is enough for now - come back tomorrow.   The girls are wanting their tea and i have been on the computer for long enough.  I did manage to put together a 80 page 12x12 photo book yesterday and last night and can’t wait for that to come back to have something to remind me again of my time away – now before you think that was good of me to do so quicky  - settle - it was only because my vouchers for this were to expire last night and i didn’t want to waste them…. otherwise it could have been a year down the track.
Ok that will do for now – chat again tomorrow
Mel