CHA Part Deux

Here are a few of the photos I took at CHA of projects made for the show by hundreds of crafters.  I'm sorry I didn't take more pictures but as I said yesterday I was experiencing a sensory overload from the minute I walked in the door and saw the Graphic 45 display.

From there I moved on to look at sooooo many other different displays in over 2,000 booths!  Here are a few more that caught my eye.  Here is Tsukineko's booth, I'm proud to say I had a few projects on display here.  Such a thrill.

Here are a few more of my favorites.

 I loved the work of the AMAZING Finnabar.  Her work is even more beautiful in person, if that is possible.

There were several of these chemises made of paper on display.

Of course, even bras had been "steampunked" out.

One of Dina Wakley's new silhouette stencil designs.  Love them!

Dyan Reaveley looking sassy with a serene Claudine Hellmuth in the background.  I hope this gives you a taste of what the show was like.  If I am ever invited again I promise to slow down and take more photos.  Did you enjoy your short trip to CHA Anaheim?  We will all benefit from the wonderful new things coming our way in 2013.  Can't wait.  It's gonna be fun!

Home at last!

I finally got home from Calif.  Wow, what a long trip.  I went out for winter CHA and then stayed on to take care of my 86 year old mother who had a "procedure".  She is quite well, thank you, and was running around with her walker by the time I left.  I knew it was time to leave when I kept following her around telling her to slow down, sit down and put her feet up and she was having none of it.  A nurse came by on Sunday afternoon and pronounced her just fine.  Now a little about CHA.

Where to begin.  I did a demo/make & take for ImagineCrafts (aka:Memento/Tsukineko) on Friday evening.  My daughter came to assist me.  Oh. My. Goodness!  What a time we had.  This was my first rodeo so I thought I'd have maybe 4 people or so at a time.  I walked up front to leave my daughter's name at the door and saw a line that wrapped around the corner and down the hall.  I said "are all the people lined up to come in here?"  The door monitor said "yes".  WooHoo!  Instead of 4 people at a time we were teaching 8 people at a time.  Our project was a miniature art journaling page/postcard.  It measures 4" by 6" and is done on 140 lb. watercolor paper.  Just at our table we taught over 100 people, mostly retail  store owners, how to do this and only had 5 cards left by 9:00 when the event closed.  Whew!  Here are the photos of the room and a few of the exhibitors who were demo-ing projects BEFORE everyone came in.  There are no AFTER photos but believe me it did not look the same at any of the booths. :-)  We just kept scooping all the paper towels and baby wipes onto the floor behind the tables to make room for the next person.  Holly and I were busy for 3 hours straight.  I had the time of my life!

Imagine Crafts provided this calendar so people could put each project on a page as they moved around the room and completed each one.  I thought that was a really great idea.  I was "Miss November".   (lol)

The following days spent at CHA were surreal.  Imagine walking around and seeing all the crafters you follow on-line just sitting there or walking around.  One minute we'd spot the Gentleman Crafter strolling with Shelly Hickox, the next minute Dyan Reaveley would go flying by (wearing a moustache) closely followed by Wendy Vecchi.  Tim Holtz and Mario would be sitting close by visiting with anyone who stopped by to say hello.  So many of these crafting teachers were doing demos at different booths for hours.  If you wanted to you could just sit or stand there and be taught for a couple of hours by people like Dina Wakley or Claudine Hellmuth.  And the projects!  All the latest and greatest products were on display being demoed by each company.  The projects and decorations in the over 2000 booths were incredible.  I took a few photos but I was so overwhelmed by the whole thing my photos do not do the experience justice.  Here are a few photos I had the presence of mind to take.  Tomorrow I will share the rest of the photos.

Wendy Vecchi and Dyan Reaveley

Dyan with Dina Wakley

I'll see you all tomorrow and share a few photos of the new products and projects.  Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you all have a great weekend.

CHA here I come!

One last little sneak peak at what I've been working on for my next Calendar class.  It is still a work in progress and I hope to find some interesting embellishments to add to it while I'm at CHA.  I'll try to keep all of you updated with CHA new releases and photos along the way. 

Thanks for stopping by, I'll talk with you soon!

SDC 81::Stampotique Challenge/Journal Page

It is time again for a Stampotique Challenge!   the current challenge is to make a journal, calendar or diary page.  I have made a journal page that can be written on whenever the spirit moves me.  It is a reflection of the weather here right now and it is COLD outside.  The children across the street love to make snowmen every year and within a few days they normally look like the snowman on the left.

Products used:

Stampotique Stamps

Dyan Reaveley Stamps

Tim Holtz Stamps

Idea-ology Tissue Wrap 

Gesso

Brilliance Platinum Ink

Brilliance Cosmic Copper Ink

Staz-on Black ink

Faber Castell White and Blue Metallic Gelatos

Memento Markers

Gesso

Essential Glue Pad

Glitter

Snowflake Stamp

Old Book Paper

FUDE BALL black ink pen

Stay warm!  Talk to you soon.

Imagine Crafts Artists in Residence Project for 2013

The exciting news that I mentioned yesterday is that starting today I am a part of Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko's AIRs Team.  "AIR" stands for Artists in Residence.  I was invited, along with 11 others, to join this team recently.  It involves producing 3 projects each month beginning February 1st using products and themes provided to me by Imagine Crafts.  My faves at this point in time are Memento inks, Fireworks, Staz-on and so many others.  I am excited to see what types of things they introduce me to.  The first of these projects will be shown on my blog beginning on Feb. 1, 2013 and on the first of every month following that for the rest of the year.  This opportunity helps me to challenge myself by forcing me to break down my work using tutorials and listing all the products I use.  No more flying by the seat of my pants and forgetting how I get certain effects.  I believe this will work together with my OLW:  "balance".  By staying balanced I'm motivated to slow down a little and be present while I'm creating things.  There are times when I'm asked to teach a class on a project and it has taken days to figure out exactly how I did it so that I can write directions down for others to produce something similar.  I hope you will be open to trying new products and new techniques using those products along with me.
Imagine Crafts has also invited me to make samples for CHA in Anaheim this month which was a big first for me.  I can't share those with you yet but I will later this month.  I will also be attending CHA,  a really big first, and doing some demos there.  If you happen to be there please stop by and say hello.  I LOVE meeting people IRL that I have only known in Blogland.  My family lives near the Convention Center so I'll be spending some time after CHA visiting family and old friends.  January is going to be a busy month.

Lately I've been drawn to making miniature Art Journal pages to see what types of things I want to put in my Art Journal.  Yes, I have been writing the directions down on the back of each card so it can be replicated.  It is a fun project, small (4" x 6") and cute.  It isn't in a book and doesn't require a lot of time and commitment so it is not at all intimidating.  This is a sample of one of those cards.  They can be joined together with a metal binder ring and kept close by for ideas for later projects.

This one was made using Strathmore watercolor paper (140 lb), gesso, Reeves Deep Yellow Acrylic paint, a tad of Cobalt Blue paint around the edges wiped off with a baby wipe (my new best friend).  Then I sprayed a little spritz of Fireworks Dandelion and Tangelo spray ink on it and blended it with a paper towel.  The clip art is by Hidden Vintage Studios and the stencil is by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer.  Instead of paint I applied some Dreamweaver's Pearlescent Embossing Paste, forcing it through the stencil with an old credit card and wiped off the excess.  A few black lines with acrylic paint and circles using a lid.  The stamps are by Autumn Leaves.  The white dots and circles are drawn with a wonderful white Signo pen that one of my students, Sandy, gifted me.  I love that pen!

You can buy the pre-cut post cards or simply cut your own to whatever measurements you prefer.  It is a fun way to keep track of new ideas and colors that you might want to repeat later.  Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great day, it is sunny here but not very warm, lots of snow.  Take care, I'll talk to you soon!