about cha

It occurred to me that not everyone may know what I'm talking about when I say "cha". CHA is the Craft and Hobby Association. They hold two 'to the trade' shows annually one in summer and one in winter. So, my CHA references are to the winter show which begins this Sunday at the Anaheim Convention Center here is southern California. The show is quite massive filling the entire facility including the lower level.

And as the name suggests, the entire crafting industry is represented (tho scrapbooking is by far the largest single sector within the show). So, as you walk the floor you might see manufacturers of media for the fine arts, products for the garment and sewing segment, yarn, fibers and needle arts, and cake decoration, and so on. You'd recognize some of the heavy hitters by name, I'm sure and all of these have huge beautiful booths: Wilton, Lion Arts, Red Heart, Singer, etc. Even Hewlett Packard displays at CHA.

This will be my third year attending as a member of the SGT design team. It's a great experience for me as a designer and teacher. Each year that I've gone I've learned new techniques and gained a greater understanding of many products on the market. Plus there is so much inspiration at every booth, that when the show concludes --at least for me-- I'm ready and eager to get busy creating.

I'll be sure to post lots of photos, so stay tuned!