I'm back and Better than ever

Hi Everyone!
As many of you are aware, I've been sick and out of 'commission' for the past 5-6 months. I became sick at the beginning of March with a bowel obstruction (I have Crohns disease). I managed to tough it out at home, until the beginning of May, but it got to the point that I couldn't handle it on my own anymore and Gord took me to the Medicine Hat Hospital, where I was admitted. I was flown to the Peter Laugheed Hospital in Calgary, Alberta twice by Air Ambulance during the next couple of months. I finally had surgery July 28. I must say the care I received at both hospitals was excellent! I'm a retired RN, so I can be a bit of a critical 'customer'. I was finally discharged around August 14th, so I was definitely tired of looking at 'four walls'. Not being able to Stamp and play with all the great new goodies that were being introduced by Spellbinders, Ranger, etc drove me crazy.
I would like to thank all the Dr's, Nurses and support staff from both hospitals who managed to make being sick easier to 'handle'. Their wonderful care, encouragement and great sense of humor made the pain and other symptoms easier to deal with. It's amazing how a smiling face and kind words can make someone's day a bit brighter.

I also want to thank my wonderful stamping friends and customers. The emailed messages with words of encouragement and beautiful hand crafted cards that were sent helped lift our spirits. Gord was amazed at how caring my stamping friends/customers were. He said they helped lift his spirits as he went through the emails to take to the hospital for me to see. We both thank you all, for the cards and caring messages.
Chris N. Thanks for eating for me for all those months, and enjoying a glass of wine while you were rubber stamping. As a word of explanation, a dear stamping friend/customer, when she found out I wasn't able to eat, or keep anything down since March, offered to eat for me, so I wouldn't lose too much weight..Smiles....I enjoyed the treats vicariously through her. She enjoyed Chocolate and all the goodies that we all love to have, and drank a glass of wine for me when she knew I'd probably like to have one, giggle.....but, unfortunately I continued to lose weight, but I think Chris probably gained it, Smiles...

I'm sorry I didn't get to post sooner, but when I was discharged, weighing 82 pounds, I was really weak and it took me a while before I could even get online and try to get the business, Integrity Designs Rubber Stamps & Paper Craft, 'up and running' full time again.
(I've gained 6 pounds since then, Smiles).....It is as hard to gain weight as it is to lose it, it seems....
Before I get into posting about the wonderful new things that are happening in the stamping world, I have one more Thank you to make, and that is to all of my loyal customers who placed orders while I was in the hospital.
This Thank You is from both Gord and me. Thank you for your patience. While I was in the hospital, Gord took over taking and filling orders for me. He isn't a stamper, (though I keep trying to get him 'into it') so he doesn't know what all of the products are, let alone what they look lile or what they do. So, the man who up til this point had avoided the computer, had to take email orders and reply, Also, the same man who doesn't know much about all of our Stamping Products also had to find items that he had no idea what they looked like....He did fantastic! It took him a little longer to see if things were in stock, as he'd bring a list when he came came to visit during his twice a day visits and I'd let him know where to find things. He'd bring the orders to me at the hospital to see if items were in stock, and where the heck were they, lol. (Isn't it funny, I can't remember what I had for supper last night, but I can usually tell you exactly what I've got in stock, Smiles) He managed to fill all the orders within 24-48 hours. I think he even surprised himself at how good he did, as he told me he felt like 'a fish out of water', and was worried he'd make a mistake (he didn't).

After getting home and taking two weeks to get my strength back we decided to take some time for R & R...I was feeling good, but weak. We decided that camping and fishing at the side of a lake was just what 'the doctor ordered'. For the past few weeks that's what we've been doing....We went to a few lakes in Southern Alberta where you can camp on the lakeshore and enjoy the peace and quiet that Mother Nature has to offer. Other than the excitement caused when a nice fish was caught, it was so wonderful to relax and enjoy ourselves.
The new ProvoCraft Cuttlebug Embossing folders and Card Making kits and Dies arrived just prior to us leaving, so those stampers who placed pre-orders have gotten them and I do have extras of the majority of them. I did sell out of a couple of them, but they've been re-ordered and I expect them to arrive at the end of next week. For some reason Celtic Knot and Harlequin Embossing folders didn't arrive at the Canadian distributors, so I'm waiting for them. I'll post more about the Cuttlebug and other products in the next post.
Again, I'd like to thank everyone again for their words of encouragement and lovely stamped cards that I received while I was ill.
Spellbinder has also released some new Pendant Embossing dies as well as coordinating borders that are coming next week. More about them in the next post, which I hope will be within the next couple of days.
Thanks for visiting!
Elaine