African Update and Birthday Present

Spoke with my eldest daughter and she has been able to talk to her husband.   He has ascended and descended Mt. Kilomanjiro.   He is apparently a legend in Arusha for some unknown reason.   Maybe they consider him that crazy american?  He is back in Arusha and prepping to leave tomorrow for Amsterdam for his connecting flight back to the US.   Asked what the next mountain he will climb is his reply was....he doesn't think he will climb again for a while.   We both think it is the exhaustion talking.   He will be planning his next (his second) climb probably before he lands back in the USA.   It may not be year or two but I bet he does it again.  I can't wait to see him, hear the stories and see the photos.

Since my other daughter was home for a family funeral, I gave her her birthday present rather than having to making it at the end of the week.    Well before she opened all the way, she said......"You didn't get me a Big Shot, did you?"  Yes, of course I did.   I introduced her to Stampin Up and card stamping last year on a visit home.   She now meets regularly with a group near her and is even in a club,  She told me all about SplitCoasters.com and puts me to shame with all the new and different stamping techniques she has learned and made.   So guess what, she already has one.   Well, there is no dilemma.  I wanted one but wouldn't spend the money on myself for one.  Sure, I'd spend it on my kids....you know how that goes.   I am excited.   We went to Joanne's yesterday afternoon and got a couple fo Sizzix dyes and played last night.   I need to stitch for next couple of nights to make up for lost time but will have to make up some Christmas Cards this weekend.    As for my daughter's birthday, looks like I am buying her a new jacket.   All's well.  I was secretly happy that I had picked out something that she liked....afterall she had already bought one which proves it.

For those who asked.....here is my Big Shot ......  It is a tool for card cutting and more.   You can cut fabric, paper, tin, felt.   It consists of a platform and a roller you crank your dies through.   

It is hard to see here, but this is the general deal.   You have two lucite plates.  Between the plates you sandwich your paper and the die.   Of course, don't be silly, yes they are sold separately.     

You then feed this 'sandwich' through the machine and it does the rest.

You get a perfect cut, everytime.

Stampin Up has some really cool dies.   I of course coudn't wait to mail order one and we ran to Joanne's to buy a couple.   Staying with the season, I got the christmas tree and the snowflake.     I especially like the little gift tags and the little favor boxes that Stampin Up offers.   It is perfect for those times you want to mass produce.