This one time...

I was at an airport a few years back (not sure where, as airports have all become a bit of a blur to me) on my way to one of the first trade shows I had ever attended.  I was just hanging out, waiting (like you do at airports) when I happened to glance over to my side and there she was...

Heidi Swapp.

She was just standing there, waiting (like you do in airports) just a couple of feet away from me, looking all cute and put together (like Heidi Swapp always does).  I on the other hand, was in a ponytail and sweat pants, not looking very cute or put together (like I always do).

I kind of gasped a little bit when I saw her because, well...I'm a fan.  Heidi Swapp was the first scrapbooker I had ever put a name and face to after looking at a layout of hers in one of the first issues of Creating Keepsakes I had ever bought back in 2001-ish.  In fact, I was up in Seattle with my best friend in the whole wide world, Jill (we've been best friends for 25 years now, but you probably already knew that because I say it every chance I get) and I distinctly remember Jill and I saying 'That Heidi Swapp girl is the best scrapbooker in the whole wide world!' after looking at a layout she had in the magazine (all I remember is that it was a bathtub layout with a hand-drawn frog in a pocket or something terrifically cool like that).  Jill even scraplifted it (that's how cool it was).

And when Heidi Swapp's work came out in the Designing with Notions and the Designing with Texture books back in 2002, I about lost my mind.  To date, I still don't think that I have every loved or used any scrapbooking books the way I loved and used those two book.  The were just ahead of their time.

I've taught interactive style scrapbooking classes for years now, but Heidi Swapp was doing it with baby bonnets tucked away inside foam board with transparent windows and amazingly cool mini albums built into her layouts long before I ever did it.

So saying that I 'gasped a little bit when I saw her' is actually an understatement because actually, my heart started to race and I thought for a minute that I might actually pee my pants (or more accurately, my sweat pants).  I just remember having a conversation with myself that went something like this...

'Oh my gosh, you're standing next Heidi Swapp!', 'You should go say hi'.  'No, you can't go say hi, you're wearing sweat pants'.  'She won't care if you're wearing sweat pants, you should go say hi'. 'I can't say hi, I'll make an idiot of myself', 'Oh my gosh, I'm standing next to Heidi Swapp'.  'I'm sure people make an idiot of themselves in front of her all the time, you should go say hi', but before I had a chance to carry on my conversation any longer, I looked over and Heidi Swapp was gone.

So a few years later, I was at another trade show (I'm not sure where as those trade shows have all become a bit of a blur to me) and was talking with a friend of mine from Magic Scraps when I spotted Heidi Swapp standing off to the side of me again.  So I interrupted the conversation I was having with my friend from Magic Scraps to say 'Oh my gosh, we're standing next to Heidi Swapp!' and my friend from Magic Scraps said, 'Haven't you met her before, come on, I'll introduce you.'  And then I said 'I don't want to meet her, I'll make an idiot of myself', but before I could say anything else, my friend from Magic Scraps was already standing next to Heidi and starting our introduction.  As I walked towards them, I just kept saying to myself, 'Don't say anything stupid', 'Don't say anything stupid', 'Don't say anything stupid.'

But as I went to shake her hand, the 'stupid' just started spouting from my mouth at 100 mph before I even realized that I was speaking; 'OH MY GOSH, IT'S SO NICE TO MEET YOU HEIDI SWAPP, I'VE LOVED YOU FOR YEARS, IN FACT, THIS ONE TIME I WAS STANDING AT AN AIRPORT NEXT TO YOU AND I ALMOST PEED MYSELF BECAUSE I WAS SO EXCITED, AND I WANTED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO YOU BUT I WAS WEARING SWEAT PANTS AND I WAS AFRAID THAT I WOULD MAKE AN IDIOT OF MYSELF'...

She just politely sat and listened until all the 'stupid' was done spouting out of my mouth and then said, 'It's nice to meet you too.'

And then some important business person came over and totally interrupted the amazing conversation we were having.

And as I was walking away with my friend from Magic Scraps, I was thinking to myself 'Did you really just tell Heidi Swapp that you almost peed yourself?'

So that is just about the extent of my conversations with Heidi Swapp other than a brief email a few years back when she worked on a fundraiser that I was doing.

I talked with Jim quite awhile back about teaching on the Ultimate Scrapbooking Cruise this coming January and a few months after we had firmed up our plans, I found out that Heidi Swapp was added to the list of instructors teaching on the cruise (that's what I call 'icing on the cake').

And so, a few weeks back, I see this in my inbox:

hey karen..

just wanted to drop you a note... i love your blog-i don't really read blogs... i am just too crazy busy, but you do a great job...

hks

Yep, that's an email from Heidi Swapp.  It went on to talk about a whole bunch of other business stuff in regards to the cruise, but I just kept coming back to the opening paragraph because...

HEIDI SWAPP READS MY BLOG?!?

So I ran into the living room and said to Josh 'HEIDI SWAPP JUST EMAILED ME!' and Josh said 'I know I've heard the name because you always talk about her, but who is she?'

And then I called my best friend in the whole wide world (we've been best friends for 25 years you know) and said 'HEIDI SWAPP JUST EMAILED ME!'

And then I emailed my friend Donna who I met in a class a few years back to tell her the news because she's the only person that I know who made an even bigger ass of herself when she met Heidi Swapp for the first time.

So there you go...

Heidi Swapp reads my blog (or at the very least, she is nice enough to say that she reads my blog - either of which I am quite happy with) and I am teaching on the Ultimate Scrapbook Cruise with her this coming January too along with a whole group of other amazing instructors (but none of which I have made an ass out of myself in front...yet); Jim West, Donna Downey, Margie Romney-Aslett, Michelle Van Etten and Theresa Collins.

Here's all the details:

Ok, and other than that...I woke up this morning with a big ole' coldsore on my lip, a sore throat and a stomach ache, but I'm heading out to Texas first thing in the morning for a whole weekend of classes regardless.  So all you lovely Texan girls, wish me a speedy recovery and I can't wait to see ya'll.

Comments

[Jen]

I love that story! I have those same two books and can remember being blown away by Heidi's work. I think I would about pee myself too! I hope Heidi doesn't read this...

[lacey]

OMG- you had me laughing and in tears! So funny! I am actually scared to go to CKC Seattle b/c that's where I will meet some of my idols (Stacy J, Ali E, Lain E.-even SJ & LE have emailed me a few times too!!!!) and I have NO idea what I am even going to say, and i KNOW it will be something totally stupid...i know b/c one time, Vince Gill came into my restaurant a few years back, and i made him a fresh strawberry shake, and I said "now lets see how much pucker power you have!" WHAT!? I DID NOT just say THAT to Vince Gill! Kill me now. lol Anyways, the cruise sounds soooo nice! :)

[Conni]

...I think I'd pee my pant if I met YOU in person (or was standing next to you at the airport)...then I would probably make a total fool of myself also!! ;-)

[tara pollard pakosta]

you are so funnY>
because most of us that read your blog consider you right up there with
heidi herself!!! and lots of people probably almost pee themselves when they see you and want to meet YOU>
silly girl!
tara

[laura j]

You are so funny Karen! I love your blog, your photographs and your products. I'm sure you don't realize this but I'm certain that there are all kinds of people that would feel the same way about you if they saw you in an airport. I KNOW that I would be one of them. I always look forward to reading your blog, thanks for sharing with us.

[Betsey Cline]

OMG Karen you crack me up.. .I am hoping to make that cruise -it would be great to see so many people I've known over the years.

[Keely]

Karen, Awesome story!! You are waaaaayyyyyyyy too funny!! I know I would act the same as you. I love it that you don't EVEN realize that YOU are an AMAZING scrapbook (& photography) celeb!!! I heard about the cruise a while back, and honestly, wasn't interested until I found out YOU were going to be on it. How can I scrape up the time and money??? ~sigh~

[JoAnn]

DUDE>..one time, KAREN RUSSELL CALLED MY HOUSE!@!@!@!@!@!@! OH MY. AND she knew who I was.......THAT rocked. I have talked to Heidi Swapp too (CHA-anaheim) and it wasn't nearly as exciting as that phone call!

[sylv]

HILARIOUS!!

[Sandi]

I loved this story! I love Heidi also and have managed to get out a few words to her when we met but it is never what I really wanted to convey. I took an album track with Ali Edwards and I was completely stupidly silent whenever she was chatting with my tablemate. I think I managed a "oh, that sounds great" but nothing more. What DO you say that doesn't sound stalkerish? It is beyond me. Thank you for sharing!

[Ashely Schultz]

I love that you keep things real, Karen. Thanks for sharing your Heidi Swapp story with us. When I lived in Mesa, AZ, I saw her at a frozen yogurt shop once, standing in line. I too made a bit of an idiot of myself. "I read your blog...I love your stuff...your baby is so cute...I love this place..." Funny how we get that way around scrapbooking "celebrities." But you shouldn't feel stupid - you are one yourself! One of my favorites, too. Thanks for making me smile. Have fun in Texas.

[beth s.]

Better pack Depends for the cruise -- you'll have a whole week with her!!! I wish I could come this weekend, I can't believe you're going to be in Texas -- yee haw! Have a great class and hope you feel better. I'm saving my pennies to get a nicer camera and to take your online photography class. I need help!

[Grace P]

Oh My Goodness I laughed so hard thank you...Me and my friend Sara have taken a bunch of classes with Heidi Swapp and read her blog and we still get like that. But you are so cute. And why would she not read your blog? it Rocks! Hugs Grace

[Dawn]

Love the story! and you! I talk about you & Heidi & a few others like I know all of you. "Oh Karen did this and I just love the pics Karen took on her family vacation. I don't know what would be more fun...scrapbooking with Karen or partying with her!" My husband says if you could ever see who looks at your blog you would think I was stalking you. Promise I'm not. Just love what you do and how you do it! So I figure if you can talk to Heidi then surely I can finally get up enough nerve to comment on your blog...that I stalk daily...LOL - thanks for sharing your life!

[Colleen]

Now you know how I felt meeting you! And now I'm your BFF in Philly (because I know that your BFF in the whole wide world is Jill; heck you've been friends for 25 years now!). Heck, I'm considering not selling my car because KAREN RUSSELL sat in my car like 6 times! You're too cute... and that cruise is going to be AMAZING!!

[Zarah]

ROFL!
To be honest - that's probably a lot smarter than what I'd say if I ever were to meet YOU!

[Amy]

it's so funny you feel that way about Heidi, cause I actually felt that way about you! LOL!
I soooooo wish I could go on that cruise, you have NO IDEA the anguish it is causing me not to be able to go.

[Mary]

Karen, if you only knew the butterflies I had in my stomach when I met you in June in Attleboro, MA at your photographer's workshop! Not to mention the first time I sent you an email and you responded........quickly! That floored me :)
Feel better!

[Laurie]

OMG - i could have written your post myself. Actually, I sort of DID write your post myself - on my blog - about a month ago!
I've never been fortunate enough to meet Heidi (or you for that matter) but I did get an e-mail from her and she left a comment on my blog - nearly peed my pants!

check it out:

http://divaloca-laurieturpin.blogspot.com/2008/07/i-heart-heidi-snapp-i-mean-swapp.html

and

http://divaloca-laurieturpin.blogspot.com/2008/07/insert-shreik-here.html

i'm glad i'm not the only one!

Laurie

[Jeannine]

You are so funny - you crack me up. I love that you are so honest about everything. I took a class by Ali Edwards - I had been reading her web for a long time and read all her books and articles. I was so nervous to take the class and I am painfully shy so I wanted someone to go with me to the class. The only person I could get to go with me was my teenage son - so he took this album class with me. He was the only guy in the class and Ali kept commenting and bringing it up - I just about died - I get so embarrassed easily. I could hardly talk every time she came by - I swear I think she thought I was crazy. I also asked her for photography advice and she pointed me in your direction - that was the best advice I have ever received. So if I met you in person I would also probably feel the same way as you did with Heidi!!!

[kat-in-texas]

OMG! I CAN'T BELIEVE KAREN RUSSELL IS COMING TO TEXAS AND I CAN'T GO!!!! My husband has given me the thumbs down (plus I have to work at 7:00 Monday morning). I AM BESIDE MYSELF!!!

I don't think I could even get the "stupid" to come out of my mouth if I met ANY of you Big Name Scrapbookers, Karen. No, it would be more like the "stupid-idiot" if I met any one of y'all !

Hope you have fun while you're here in Texas. Wear your hair "big" and nobody will notice the cold sore. ha.

p.s. You can leave your thong bikini at home...it's only gonna be in the 90's this weekend! :B

[Beth(momoftwins)]

yeah, that's pretty much how I felt when I met you the first time. And the first time I got an email from you. And when you actually hugged me when I came into your class! And when you told me my photography was good and that I didn't really need to take your class (but I am still soooo glad I did). You are always my idol. Even if I still write the "momoftwins" part everytime- I know you know who I am- and just that...such a great feeling!!

[Susan]

You are so funny. I remember picking up the phone and seeing your name on my caller ID and thinking Karen Russell....calling me....??????? OMG! I was so excited I can not even remember what I said or if I even made sense; then I told everyone I knew that you called my house!!! LOL

[Stephanie]

I know the feeling.... I saw you in the Medford Airport a year and a half ago and thought to myself "oh my gosh it's Karen Russell... should I go say hi to her... I better not, she looks busy... and if I do go up to her she might think I'm a complete idiot. However, after debating with myself for awhile, I finally got enough courage to approach you and say "hi" and how wonderful of a scrapper and photographer you are. I then too had to call my good friend Katie to brag that I just saw you and said hi!!!

GO BEAVS!!!!

[MamaJayne]

That's exactly what I'd say if I ever got to meet you. You are so much more real to me because you've shown us your crappy couch. I wish I didn't have a cruise booked in March already, I'd be on that one!

:J

[Sue Eisenbeis]

Thanks for the laugh!

[Jenny Alfonso]

I love reading your blog! You had me cracking up because that's exactly how I would feel if I ever met YOU. The very first time I ever met Ali Edwards, I made a complete idiot of myself and actually CRIED. But in my defense, I was talking about my son who also has autism but if I'm honest with myself it was part the talk of autism and mostly just meeting her :) I'm hoping to get into one of your photography classes one of these days. I'm such a huge fan! Thanks for being you!

[Deneen]

Karen too funny! I remember how excited I was when I met you at a class you were teaching in Lodi, CA and then I went and got sick during class and had to leave early but you so kindly posed for a picture with me and gave me your e-mail address and told me to write anytime. The first time I e-mailed you was to ask for your autograph so that I could put it along side our picture and I remember the feeling when you responded to my e-mail I was like Oh my Gosh Karen Russell e-mailed me (even if you were responding to my e-mail LOL) I think I almost peed on myself right there at my computer and then I had to run off and tell anyone who would listen to me. And that's where our friendship started and you have become such a dear friend to me. Hugs and have fun teaching along side Heidi. You belong right up there with her!

[heidi swapp]

karen... i am totally blushing... so embarassed... it's such a huge compliment... especially coming from you! you are SUCH an amazing, inspiring artist... and you just keep getting better and better. i am right here with all your fans, shaking my head... thinking that you must have no clue how we view you and the amazing things that you do! your talents keep blossoming! and it's fun to watch... i am so excited to do your photographers workshop...i really have a desire to improve my photos, and i have never taken the time to really work on it wholeheartedly... so i am really so excited.
oh, and for the record... i NEVER feel 'put together'... if i seems so, i must be putting on a good show! smile. thank you for such an amazing compliment. you TOTALLY made me laugh, and want to crawl under a rock all at the same time. i am so looking forward to getting to spend a week with you on the high seas!
talk soon... xo
heidi

[jgreen]

I am with the other 20 people who have said this about you! I can remember the first time I met you in Amarillo last year. THEN, I got to have my picture taken with you in your BEAVERS shirt (which, by the way, remember not to wear that in Amarillo this time....tee hee!)....anyway, I called all of my friends and said, "OMG! I am on Karen Russell"s blog with her in her BEAVERS shirt!!!!" ...like it was the president of the United States! ....and they all thought I was a crazy woman! But, you are truly the greatest, most popular girl I've met to date! I am the Karen Russell stalker, remember?! :) And, I will see you in Amarillo AND Wichita Falls! I told you.....

ps....wishing you "get well sleep" tonight and grace for your trip! See you in the great state of Texas! We can't wait!!!

[Chrissi]

Oh my gosh! That would be how I would feel if I was standing next to you in an airport! I am not an avid scrapbooker, but an avid blog-reader, and I think that yours is so totally phenomenal. You are a brilliant photographer and such a cool mom! I am just a little ole' farm wife from central Illinois! You are awesome, Karen Russell - just as awesome as Heidi Swapp - I read about her, too!

[Jill]

First of all Heidi Swapp just commented on your blog!!! :)

Second of all, that's how I feel every time I see you Karen. I almost pee myself. It's a good thing we live far away from each other... or I would pee myself every day.

Hope your feelin' better.

[Cyndi]

See, this is why I love you (not in a stalkerish way, though. Well, maybe a little bit.) I am going right now to my blog, to post the humiliating story about the day I met Tara Whitney, my other photography idol. I'm going on the cruise (SO EXCITED), and I may wear Depends just so I won't pee myself when I meet you. :)

[nichole]

i have to agree with heidi... your blog rocks my socks.

oh and if i ever see you in an airport, sweatpants probably won't stop me from introducing myself and then giving you a hug... just fair warning.

thanks for all the inspiration!

n

[Jeannie]

Love your Heidi Swapp story!! And my husband and friends think I'm weird when i met you a few months ago!! They'll never understand - they are non-scrapbookers. And they say i have no life . . . .

[Kimberly]

That is exactly how I felt when I met you(up in lynnwood, wa)! So much so that I strongly encouraged my daughter to seek you out (AKA stalk you!!!) at at CHA-Anaheim and grab a snapshot os her with you; which you did for her, funny thing was she was pretty darn excited to re-meet you! Love the blog too, thanks for sharing so much of yourself with us!!

[Lisa]

Ofcourse she reads, it we all do you make us laugh when our day has been a little bit hard and you write well. TFS.

[michele lee]

Love the story! Great to see the real side of you, that you too get all excited and nervous when you meet with your idols! That was seriously a hilarious story!!!

[DonnaBD]

That story makes me laugh every time, Karen! Every time.

[hanna L]

too funny!! And there are quite a few "scrapping celebrities" I would feel that way w/ you included!!

[Cheryl Sullivan]

Silly girl, I would feel the same way if I met you, Ali Edwards, Or Heidi. You are my favorites!

[Lan]

Hi Karen,

Your post totally cracked me up! I was lucky enough to meet Heidi in class at a CKU in Boston one year and even got my picture taken. Looking forward to hear your 3rd encounter after the cruise :) I so wish I could go, maybe my husband will win the jackpot while he's in Vegas this weekend.

[Laura Plunk]

Well thank goodness I didn't pee myself just reading your blog..... I actually name drop yours all the time, "Like , yeah I am seeing my FRIEND Karen, you know, Karen Russell, taking a class with her.... We go way back to when I worked at No Bare Pages... !!! yada yada yada..." Oh and Heidi yes just her first name... went on the scrapbook cruise I was on in March of 2006 Yeah like I am so sure she remembers me... oh and yeah Becky ( Higgins and family).. JIM ( WEST) just ask them all sure they remember my and my girlfriend Robin....
And if this isn't stalkerish.... I have a mini lbum with all the scrapbook celebrities I have met pictures in it, Donna Downey, Wendy Smedly, Lisa Bearnson, .... All the BIGGIES even did a make n take with Tim ( HOLTZ) I am starting to SCARE myself !! YIKES I am creepy. Well still hoping to figure a way to go on the ultimate Scrapbook Cruise, look out I may be stalking you on a ship.. coming to a theater near you.....

Love ya Laura P

[Val in Ohio]

I took your photography workshop in Columbus a few years back and I thought the same thing when I met YOU. I even emailed you a pic of your visit and mentioned something about being "star-struck" when meeting you!

But the craziest thing I have stuck in my head now is from your title, "this one time". Now all I can think of is, "this one time...in band camp...".

Thanks for inspiring me and for keepin' it real!

[Sherri]

That is SO funny! My kids even came in to see what I was laughing at.

[lashell darby]

Hey Karen you are too funny....I know how ya feel...I sometimes feel that way when I run into you around town:)

[jennifer Compton]

i'm pretty sure if i met you, i would TOTALLY pee myself! totally.

[Erin R.]

Karen you crack me up. Hilarious story first of all, but second because I would be equally as excited to be standing next to you (let alone meet you) as I would be to stand next to (or meet) Heidi Swapp. It is funny to hear when our creative heros have their creative heros too I guess.

[meg duerksen]

i am sure everyone has said this same thing..."i would do that if it was me meeting you!" in fact i would probably tell you i about peed my pants.
in fact when you did email me back about what was wrong with my camera i was happy all day. which i know is silly because you are just like me and i am just like everyone who reads my blog.
but i do it anyway.
you rock.
and heidi does too.

this story is so funny....

[Missy]

Oh my gosh Karen ... I read your blog everyday, but this is the first time (I think!) that I've commented.

I read your post today and just laughed out loud. I sat there imagining to myself ... that's the same exact way *I* would react if I got to meet the one-and-only Karen Russell!!!

I can only imagine how it feels to know that someone you respect so much has visited your blog.

I have to tell you ... the other day I was in my local scrapbooking store and when I walked in they had all of your new embellishments and papers in one place. I thought "oh my gosh ... I know her" ... LOL ... when in fact I don't really "know" you ... but I feel like I do because you so graciously share your family, thoughts, talents and creativity with those of us who read your blog.

Thank you for that.
Missy *Ü*

[kat-in-texas]

Okay, I had to come back and read this again because it was so funny and I wanted to laugh.

I see your new best friend, Heidi Swapp, has left a comment on your blog! I'm telling you, Karen, you are WORLD CLASS now! That comment came all the way from CHINA!!! ha.

Hope the Texans are treating you right with their sweet Southern Hospitality! (I'm still mad I'm missing it!) :P

[Maridette]

I so know what you mean. Wow! coming from you I mean you are the best at what you do, to feel that way with Heidi Swapp. I don't feel so bad. I thought I was the only one that felt that way. I got all EXCITED when I won a spot at her Create 08 event and when she emailed me. I went and yelled out to my BFF " HS emailed me! So, I so know where you're coming from.

[Krista Lund]

i would probably make an ass of myself if i ever met you!! hope that makes you feel better :)

[Mary Ann]

I totally had to laugh at your story because at a Creative Imaginations CHA party (a year or so ago), you were there, and I soooo wanted to come say HI to you. It was there one where they had the guy dressed like Austin Powers there taking pictures with everyone. Remember?? You had on a really cute dress... Anyway, I was there with the store owner for my LSS, and I was dying to come say hi, tell you how I love your blog, what an inspiration you are to me, and how you make me want to be a better photographer. But I totally chickened out because I just KNEW I would blow it. I could already feel my foot in my mouth.
I promise if I happen to see you at CHA Anaheim next year I'll say hi. :)

[heather]

ok, so I know exactly how you feel. I went to my first CHA recently and met Ali Edwards!! I was beyond thrilled plus I met a whole bunch of other super fab people I never thought I would ever get the chance to meet!!!! I am so glad that I am not the only one who gets star struck I felt like such a dork everytime I met someone at the trade show because I got all tongue tied except for the stupid, that seemed to flow freely from my mouth,LOL !! Now if I could only meet this Karen Russell chick, that would be cool cause my hubby just loves her photography skills and I think she is just pretty darn cool !!

[Ashley Smith]

Those Magic Scraps girls were always so sweet, weren't they! :)

[anne]

YOU are just as amazing!!!

remember that.

i dig how real you are.

:)

[aja]

o.
m.
g.

that was hilarious!

i'm too lazy to read all of the comments (heehee), and i'm sure they all say the same...

i'd be tickled "peeeenk" (wink, wink) if i was to find out you read my blog!
:0)

www.twogirlzstuff.blogspot.com

[loveloi]

hahahahaha!!! i am loving this post!

i had to look for Heidi's comment, right after i read yours. YOU BOTH cracked me up!

let me tell you something, i'd be saying everything you said if i meet you or Heidi.... and more probably really really for real PEE MY PANTS!

oh i wish i could really meet you...someday:)

[Kristal]

OK, I read your blog all of the time and I love it and how much you share...but I have to say that when I read this post, I laughed OUT LOUD and my kids were wondering what was so funny and I am still having the giggles over what you wrote. You are good! :) Hope you are feeling better soon.

[Mireille]

roflol!
too funny ...
but then again .. like so many others.. I might have the same reaction when I met YOU!

[Yvonne]

I'd be the same way if I saw you in an airport!!!

[Julie Pilch]

When I met you in April in the UK I arrived at Latimer house hotel first thing in the morning (nearly everyone stayed the night before) and as soon as I arrived you walked past me and said "Morning". I couldn't believe it. I went pretty much straight away and rang my husband and said "OH MY GOD Karen Russell just said Morning to me!!!!!!!!!!!". It was so amazing to meet you it took so much "talking to myself" before I stood up on the table in your class. I was thinking do I want Karen Russell to remember me as the strange English person who stood on a table or should I just sit and be quiet...stand up.. stay seated...stand up...stay seated...I ended up standing up as I thought what the heck. It has been the highlight of my scrapbooking year to have met you!!!!

[F.Cas]

You crack me up! I'd love to take one of YOUR classes...I bet we'd have a ball...laughing.

[Chris Dodaj]

big, big HS fan here too. I fell in love with her in the MM metal books, and when I took her BPS class last year, she emailed me about a layout I did - and it was a real delight! I actually submitted the layout she raved about, and it was my first one ever published.

thanks for sharing your story, and I probably would have peed myself too!