still here

Anaheim Convention Center Welcomes CHAW 2013

Despite my earshattering silence, I've been up to stuff lately. (Aren't I always?) Last month was the annual winter trade show from the Craft & Hobby Association (aka CHA). I was happy to again work with Pink Paislee /Heidi Swapp in their beautiful booth.  We had a team meeting the night before that included an introduction to Heidi's new media team (the sweetest girls, ever!) and a wonderful class from Heidi Swapp herself. There was also dinner and orientation for working the booth --all of it was lovely and much appreciated.

With Rebecca and Heidi

With the Heidi Swapp Media team (except for Kim, sadly)

 Booth duty was great fun as always and I really enjoyed being able to do make-n-takes for one of my shifts. If you know me at all, you know how much I love doing make-and-takes and demos. And teaching too for that matter!

With Elaine at the booth Make-n-Take Counter

On the subject of teaching, I'm hard at work planning some public classes this year. It's been awhile since I taught at a store. Lately, all of my gigs have been at private events such as crops and retreats. So, I'm kind of excited about getting back into the retail stores and meeting more happy, scrappy people. I'll be sure to post more once I've got things in place. While I'm thinking of it, if you are interested in keeping up with my teaching and other crafty shennanigans, be sure to follow me on twitter: twitter.com/MammaJammaBlabb

At my other favorite booth Epiphany Crafts with Cathi & Tina

A few weeks after CHA was over, I was back at the Anaheim Convention Center, this time for the Scrapbook Expo. I worked for two different vendors there. First, I did setup (and teardown) with the lovely people of Paper Wizard. In case you're not familiar with Paper Wizard, they are makers of beautiful, intricate pre-made laser cut titles and accents. The owners are an adorable husband and wife team who were a joy to work with. And they are music lovers, so we had tunes going the whole time we were setting up the booth. It's as good as better than whistling while you work!

With Eric & Bonnie of Paper Wizard after tearing down the booth

During the show, I worked a day and a half with another lovely family, this time the owners of Mon Ami Gabby, purveyors of a beautiful selection of elegant embellishments. It's always dangerous for me to be around a lot of luscious trim and flowers and the like. Like being a kid in a candy shop.

With Chris at Mon Ami Gabby

With Marina and Chris

 I was able to take some classes, too. I did a Melissa Frances bookbinding class taught by the lovely Kim Garner, a "Hot Off the Press" elegant cards class with Sophia of Strictly Scrapbooking and an awesome organization class with Tiffany of The ScrapRack. Plus, I had a half day to walk the floor for awhile with a friend I used to work with, and then for while with one of my besties. I guess you could really say I packed in all that I could in the few days I was there.

With Tiffany of The ScrapRack

With Kim of Melissa Frances

With Sophia of Strictly Scrapbooking

Now, I'm inspired and motivated and working up some ideas for National Craft Month to blog about . So, be sure to check back soon!

more from CHA - sample mania!

So for today's CHA recap, I'm just gonna post a whole bunch of beautiful samples. I'm absolutely blown away by the sheer inspiration to be found in the manufacturers' booths. When I see the incredible creations by the various designers, I am made very much aware of why these folks are on these teams (and why we see so many of the same familiar names cropping up time and time again).

Anyway, enjoy the eye candy and be inspired! (And don't forget to support your local scrapbook retail establishment!)

Click on any of these pics to see an enlarged version.

First, a cute little mini album in the AccuCut booth. Isn't this yummy?

 

Next, some cards in the Core'dinations booth. Love this cardstock!

  

A lovely wedding layout in the Graphic 45 booth

  

An altered calendar project using KaiserCraft's new Peachy Keen line

  

A whole wall full of My Little Shoebox samples - so cute!

  

A basket in the Melissa Frances booth - 

can't wait to play with her new crepe paper!

  

Maya Road is one of my weaknesses when it comes to CHA samples.

Don't you love this cute house?

  

From Pink Paislee using one of their new canvas albums 

(I'm in love with these too!)

  

From the 7Gypsies booth - 

I just loved how the journaling was done on a piece of driftwood.

  

A couple of cards seen in the Anna Griffin booth

A layout using the Homespun Chic line at GCD Studios

  

Possibly my favorite layout of all - so romantic!

by Layle Koncar in the Basic Grey booth

  

Some Cosmo Cricket to love

  

At Clear Snaps

 

A layout at the Crate Paper booth. 

Love the curvy movement in the border at the bottom

  

A mini book in Fancy Pants booth

  

A beautiful layout by Heidi Swapp at Tattered Angels

  

From Jenni Bowlin (get a load of that yummy button!)

  

A layout at KI Memories - love the pinwheels

  

A cute card from Inkadinkadoo at EK Success

  

At the Petaloos booth - I'm digging these new clear plastic flowers.

  

From Teresa Collins - this was the Tuesday make-n-take

  

A decorative item in the Spellbinders booth

A coat made entirely of Tim Holtz Grungeboard. Every patch & flower was unique - 

embossed and colored. Really amazing.

More of my CHA experience later this week, so check back!

melissa frances!

I really, really, really love Melissa Frances products, so it was a delight to meet her in person today. She is a cancer survivor and has been doing some awesome things in behalf of cancer research including designing her "Thankful" line (a portion of proceeds to to cancer research). She also had a couple of wonderfully altered bras from a contest (I think). She mentioned that more would be posted on the Melissa Frances blog later in the week. Here's a peek at the two I saw:

"B" cup

Singapore Sling

Aren't these too fun?

more from CHA

At long last --some more CHA pics! This group is from the Melissa Frances booth. I just love the yummy projects and ideas that they had on display.
These little frames and ornaments are so cute, though I'm usually at a loss as to how to use them in a project.

Here are some of the ways they were used on projects in the booth. Aren't these gorgeous?




And here are some other things from their booth:





Stay tuned for more CHA pics in the days to come!