Saying Goodbye to Leslie!

Hello, Crafty Peeps,

Last week, on Christmas Day, the Shopping Our Stash Blog Challenge Team lost it's Founder and Creative Leader,  Leslie Hanna.   Today,  we have chosen to honor her memory by posting our favorite "Leslie Creation."    Many of you probably knew her as The Crooked Stamper, still others of you may have become familiar with her work at The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers, or A Blog Named Hero, but for me, she was, Leslie, the "Queen of Clean" and voice of SOS!  I chose this card because, short of animating the crazy bird so it could do an "eye roll," this card speaks to me of Leslie's creative voice.

Even in death, her light is not extinguished!

Her projects were wonderful and often reflected her sense of "Snark!"  She was quite witty, I guess one would have to be if one happily takes on the label "snarky." Leslie was smart, friendly, and uber creative. 

Our design aesthetics were very different.  Leslie was a Clean And Simple designer while I am all over the place.  I was invited to the team in 2013 and I have enjoyed my tenure because everyone on the team is a little "off," (as far as I can tell) because everyone is super talented, and above all,  because I loved how Leslie's mind worked.  She could come up with some of the strangest challenges...and I used to tell her how weird they were.  Sometimes, I would just shake my head, smile, and think, "this child has issues."  But those challenges have made me a better and more daring designer.  

This was her response when I wrote a short story about one of her challenges (create a design based on your shower curtain) that left me less than thrilled.

"BWAHAHAHAHA! I love a good short story! I'm sorry to have caused you "not thrilled" moments, but your final project is amazing. 
I, too, sometimes let things sit and stew for a few days before the light bulb goes off and I get a clue."  Leslie Hanna

And then, as I wrote on my Facebook page the day I learned of her death:
"Leslie,  funny, snarky, lovely Leslie is gone...just like that! I still can't take it in.  I know I will stop crying...in a minute. I will go back to her blog and look at her work and I will remember and the tears will come again.  It will take a long minute."

Writing this has started a new stream of tears and I have to stop writing.  I didn't know her as well as my other teammates, but Leslie touched me in a mysteriously deep way and it still hurts to remember.  Some people leave marks on your soul that are indelible, Leslie has done that to mine!  

Goodnight, my friend!

HUGZ

Chana Malkah