The internet is abuzz with photos galore from CHA. Most of the companies have photos of their new products and their blogs are filled with photos from their booths. Designers too are featuring photos of their projects that were on display at CHA. And folks, like me, have posted their photos and ramblings throughout the four day convention. So, I thought I'd do something a little bit different today. Let's talk about the CHA experience.... 1. The Basic Logistics. The Anaheim Convention Center, where CHA is held, is right next to Disneyland. As a consequence, there are a bajillion hotels... Read more →

Okay, after some technical difficulties, we're back up and running. Here is the run down for CHA Wednesday... On Wednesday morning, I made a beeline for the Ranger booth. Love, love, love Ranger. They have a couple of new products, the most exciting of which is the Alcohol Ink Fillable Pen, which you can see above. Here, you can see Tim Holtz demonstrating how to fill the pen. Basically, you create your own Copic marker, which I think is way cool. One of the things that I think Ranger does exceedingly well is display their products so that you understand... Read more →

That's me at about 8:30am here in California, and I was about to head off to the final day of CHA. I had to write that backwards because the camera in my computer takes photos mirror image style. Now it's just after midnight and my internet connection won't work on my laptop. So, I'm not able to post photos, etc. from day 3. Sad, I know. But, day 3 was fabulous, so sit tight while I work on getting this connection going! And thanks for stopping by! Read more →

Let me start by saying, yes, all my pictures today are blurry. I somehow inadvertently changed some of the settings on my camera and so all the pictures are blurry. But, I think you get the gist of it... Oh, wait! First, some good news from the day: Sakura has hired me to do another seven segments of Scrapbook Memories TV! Yay! I'm absolutely thrilled. Now, onto the photos... Ten Seconds Studio has been on my radar for a while. Lots of cooler than cool metal embossing tools and I was glad to finally see them in person. Kim wasn't... Read more →

Oh, yeah. It's true. My feet are killing me. I'm exhausted. And overwhelmed. And happy. Because I'm super tired and not 100% able to write a post that isn't filled with typos, here are lots of photos: That's me with a really cool product from Creative Imaginations. It's a shadow box that holds an album and the pages are magnetized so you can flip them and they stay open. I am head over heels in love with these albums from Chatterbox! They're fabric, with great heavy-weight paper inside and so stinkin' cool. PortraitBug is definitely going to carry them! Yay!... Read more →

My entries for CHA are going to be a bit "diary style" because I'm jotting down thoughts and notes as I go and I often don't have an internet collection. So, here we go! I’m on the plane and on my way to the Craft and Hobby Association Show (CHA) in Anaheim, California. And I’m just trying to think about what to expect. For the past few years, I’ve read about CHA on message boards and blogs. I’ve seen the photos – lots of new products and super decadent display setups. I remember seeing photos of the Love, Elsie booth... Read more →

Happy Friday all around! 1. I have to link to this layout, because it blew me out of the water. When I think of the kind of layouts that I want to do, this one is like the holy grail. Wow, wow, wow. I found the layout through the popular challenge blog, The Art is Found. Very inspiring stuff. 2. Today is a crafty day. I'm teaching at The City Quilter from 12-2pm and 6-8pm and then going to a crop with the Manhattan Scrapbookers where I'll certainly stay out way too late. I'm nervous about my classes. I'm teaching... Read more →

So, I had a big deadline. Last week, quilts were due for the Empire Quilters Guild show. I knew I wanted to submit two quilts, but I didn't have anything around that I felt was worthy. So, the crazy in me came out and I decided to create two quilts *from scratch* with six days to the deadline. Now, before you say, "not possible," I have to tell you that the only thing you have to have ready by the deadline for this particular show is the quilt top. It doesn't have to be completely finished. Still a ridiculously hard... Read more →

Yep. Today is Tuesday. And I'm *still* sick. Sigh. Here's a quick run down of some crafty stuff to share... 1. Had a layout picked up yesterday by Memory Makers Magazine. It's a digi layout. I'm having more luck getting my digi stuff picked up than my paper stuff, but that's a conversation for a later post. 2. I've been working on a quilt for the last few weeks. It's getting close to being done. It has been a while since I've worked on a larger piece. Most of my quilt-y projects have been small - like 8.5x11 and this... Read more →

The January 2009 kit is for sale over at Label Tulip. Here's what I made... • I laid a piece of “lace paper” over my background paper and used several colors of ink to “stencil” in the background. I added some extra ink around the edges to enhance the effect. • The clouds are cut from a piece of patterned paper, inked, and then adhered to the layout with foam adhesive. • The title is just my handwriting. • After cutting the tag shapes from some patterned paper, I used several coats of ink and water to color them. •... Read more →