6 degrees of separation . . .

We're no Kevin Bacon but here's how the story goes:

Several years ago Linda Cain (1) was hired to teach classes at For Keeps Sake.  Linda told us about a friend of hers who was really good and would we want her to come and teach classes also.  After viewing her friends work, we gave her an emphatic *YES* and that's how we met Wendy Vecchi (2).

Wendy asked if we would mind if her friend Cecile (3) came with her.  We loved Cecile from the start.  You know how you meet someone and you know it's an instant click.  That's how we felt with these two friends.

Once the girls were back home, Cecile and I started corresponding (via e-mail) about stamps etc.  Cecile sent me a DVD about a stamp company called Artful Illusions, telling me that these were some of her all-time favorites. (This was before Ms. Wendy started her own stamps of course.)  I immediately loved everything Artful Illusions had and ordered some supplies.

Enter: Collinsville Stamp Show.  I must confess I hadn't ordered anything from Artful Illusions in some time.  In fact, I totally forgot about them (my sincerest apologies here) other than some of the fave stamps from them are still sitting on my stamp shelves . . . until this weekend.

Timi (4) & I ventured over to Collinsville looking for some ideas, inspiration, new stamps . . . you know . . . like we all do.  And we turned down aisle 2 and (singing here now) "ahhhhhhhhh".  The stamp gods opened up the heavens and we were immediately mesmerized.  Angels sang.  I mean it.  Here, look:

Do you just want to get in there and dig!  And that's how we met Joni (5) who owns Artful Illusions and Mrs. O'Leary's.  She is one of the most talented, amazing, generous people I know.  Her artwork is better than perfectly brilliant. I can't find the words to describe how much we loved each piece she made.  Her jewelry, her tags, her mini-books and her projects were exemplary. 

So now . . . ta da . . . stay tuned to For Keeps Sake blog (6) where Nancy N & Timi will post information about Joni's classes @ For Keeps Sake as well as an informal trunk show and stamps featured in one of my Stamp Club get togethers.  Don't call yet.  The deals still need to be made, phone calls must happen and things need to get back to a little bit of normal for Joni.

Thank you Joni for all the inspiration this weekend. Thank you Cecile for introducing me to Joni. Thank you Wendy for bringing Cecile with you.

Don't you just love this community of happy sharing!

Comments

[Cecile Nichols]

Hi, Nancy!

How nice to see your fantastic write-up on Artful Illusions! I'm so glad that you and Timi met Joni! What a great gal and you all are perfect matches! I felt so a part of your group the first time I came to your store with Wendy. The customers at FKS are so friendly and you three ladies treat everyone like queens! All of you are so talented that I thought immediately of Joni and what a great match she'd be with FKS!! This is exciting!

What a small world it is sometimes!

Thanks for the kind words, Nancy!

Cecile