Watercolor + Stamps = Scrapbook Page
DIY: Canvas Necklace

Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Summer 2012 Show

At last I am safe and sound and back at home in NYC.  This summer's CHA was a small show, but a lovely one.  (If you're unfamiliar with CHA, please read this post where I explain all about it.)

I headed off to Chicago a week ago, Sunday, on an early morning plane ride.

JulieSky
I entertained myself on the flight and in the airplane waiting area by sketching and watercoloring.

Watercolor
After a little while, I was joined in Chicago by a certain someone who I like to call "Julie's Little Helper."

Mom
I love going to these events with my Mother.  Partly because she truly is an enormous help, but also because I trust her opinion implicitly and it's so lovely to be able to hash over the day's events with someone whose opinion you trust.

It's also nice to share dessert with her.

Dessert
On Monday I had the great pleasure of giving two lectures: "How to Build A Better Blog" and "The How-Tos of How-Tos."  

Buildingabetterblog

I'm a natural ham, so standing up in front of an audience is such fun for me!  But, the best part of giving a lecture is meeting all sorts of new people afterwards.

Line
I love meeting everyone, but it's especially fun when blog readers come up and introduce themselves!  I like to put the face with the name.

After all the lecturing, there was a long but very important business dinner to be had with all the KS Productions girls.  We are the hosts of Hands On Crafts for Kids, Beads Baubbles and Jewels, and Scrapbook Soup TV.

Candy-Julie-Katie
And we all got presents at dinner!  Who doesn't like getting presents?

Tuesday morning the show floor opened and I started the make & takes at The Crafter's Workshop booth.  So many awesome people stopped by to play and make necklaces!

Christine&Mark
Christine&Mark
Christine&Mark
The best part of the day, however, was dinner with my "Mouse in the Blender" girls:

Christine-Ronda-Nat
Ronda, Christine, and Nathalie are lovely, courageous, talented, generous people.  I feel very lucky to call them my friends.  Each CHA we meet and share and discuss our careers.  It's a wonderful check-in every six months and I so appreciate it.

Wednesday morning rolled around way too early for my tastes.  Nonetheless, another day, another black dress.

Wednesday
I spent the morning walking the show floor snapping pics of whatever interested me.  Clearly I have a thing for tabs and tags.

7gypsiestags
7gypsiestags
7gypsiestags
I also loved seeing the Crafty Couture dresses.  Here are a few of my faves:

Dress1
Dress1
Dress1
Dress1
Dress1
The biggest thrill, of course, is seeing my own product on the show floor.  It's unbelievably cool -- like a dream come true!

Stencils
Stencils
Stencils
By the by, Blue Moon Scrapbooking has put up a "Buy It All" option for the six sets of matching stamps & stencils that came out earlier this year.

In the afternoon, I shot some video:

ScrapbookDOTcom
And helped lots more folks make awesome stenciled necklaces!

Necklaces-Wednesday
Before I had to leave Chicago, I had a delicious dinner at Chicago legend Giordano's.  Delicious pizza, great company, and plenty of laughter.  My kind of evening.  I hated to leave CHA a day early, but I was delighted to go out in style!

In the morning I headed to the airport.

Airport
Time for a new adventure: three days of classes at CREATE in New Jersey.  But that's a tale for another day!

Thanks for stopping by!

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