Well, I am back!  And it was an amazing trip.

For the first time in my life, I attended CHA, the Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show, held in the Winter at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.

Besides lovin those palm trees and flowers (and laughing at people wearing jackets in 65 degree weather, compared to the near Arctic pole conditions I experienced boarding the flight at JFK/NYC), I attended some workshops on the days before the show opened and the wee morning and evening hours when the show floor was closed.  Wanna see what we made?

My first workshop was with Creative Imaginations artist Marah Johnson. (link to her blog).  We used the Play Cards line with a Bare Elements puzzle.  Along with a bit of black chalk ink, and a few things I brought along in my class kit; including my Ranger Glossy Accents, which is a must have tool btw — this is what I made.

I added Glossy Acents to the edges of a few of the chipboard pieces, and layered them also, drizzling it across.  I spelled out ‘Love’ on the dangling heart too.  This is another present for Neil for our upcoming 20th anniversary.  Don’t we look like children in this picture?  Ah youth…  The epoxy sticker below the picture says ‘A Winning Pair’.

The second workshop was with Junkitz and we made a project using their Decor Boardz and Calendar Blankz, along with Stampz and Laguna Paintz and one of the Newspaper Flowerz to embellish (yep, everthing endz in z at Junkitz).  Two Decor Boardz were prepainted with chalkboard paint on the side and bottom and Cropadile-d with grommets for threading with ribbon.  I did not string it up yet so that it would travel better.  It was customized for a new store coming to Connecticut, called Momento. 

I like that they have punchout alphabets to match their chipboard letters.  Also, the case the letters come in is CUTE, magnetic closure and screams, alter me!  But that will come later.  Moving on…..

Junkitz has wonderful Long Bradz (another z!).  I love them because they are longer than traditional mini brads so you can truly put them through layered embellishments or, in this case, through a clipboard-type material – and have room to open them up and have them attach to the underlying surface.  Not just any brad can do this.  Must have something to do with the z.

I cut out a few flowers from the paper and blinged it up with Ranger Glossy Accents, jewelz and then painted tri-dotz and attempted leavez and vinez (oh gosh, the zs are taking over!) with a Q-tip.  I couldn’t stand leaving that chalkboard painted part BLANK.  It needed embellishing.

The next class was more of a seminar – and not a good one, unfortunately.  It taught me that one can be a very good designer – but being a very good instructor doesn’t necessarily follow suit.  Then again, you learn things about how to perfect your own presentation — so that is a valuable lesson too.  I remember teaching at my first SDV a year ago – and I did NOT do well the first time at bat.  But thankfully Nancy and Dale stuck with me and let me grow.  :o)

I still want to do a class on Adobe Photoshop at an SDV — but I wonder if it should just be a mini-seminar for interested parties.  You guys will let me know…right?

On Sunday I took a class with the fabulous Sarah Hodgson.  It is similar to what I am teaching at the SDV at Abby 1 – but mine will be about technique AND a finished project.  Just wait til you see what the girls make in More Than Just a Trace.  What fun we are going to have!  And if I thought photo transfer was limited to paper and glass – boy did I learn something from this amazing artist that assisted in the class, Margert Ann Kruljec.  Look at her jean jacket!  Around the border, she stamped a favorite quote, "Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History" and then had vintage photographs transferred onto muslin fabric which was sewn onto the back of her jacket.  That is Sarah, attempting to make bunny ears over her head in the picture on the right.  ;o)

Then a class with Spellbinders, makers of the Wizard Die-Cutting and Embossing System.  We used copper foil, some shelf liner from Home Depot, a wooden frame and a flower die to make this wonderful project.  Embellished with Ranger Alcohol Ink in Wild Plum, Eggplant, and Stream colors.

I also attended a Bazzill-sponsored workshop.  I was more than a little disappointed because it was supposed to be about their software, Bazzill Blueprints, presented by their Design Team.  Instead we got a cute instructor from a store that is associated with Bazzill and four make-n-take pages.  So while it wasn’t what I was looking to learn about, it was still fun.  I changed them around a lot and I will put the pictures here tonight of what I made from the kits.

And the last workshop of the event was hosted by Sugarloaf Designs, makers of the See Ds stamping system and taught by Margert, whom I mentioned earlier.  Besides being the queen of image transfer, Margert has a knack for taking simple objects and make them into art.  A couple pieces of felt, two wooden rulers and a dollar store journal were the basis for this project.  From these we made a stamped hanging tapestry with a covered journal to go in the pocket.  I haven’t finished it off yet – so I’ll post an update later – but here is a peek.

It will read ‘my creative ideas’ when finished and the pocket is sewn on to put the journal inside and hang in my craft area.

The last item to show you is the Make n Take from the Cropper Hopper / Advantus booth on the trade show floor.  We got to use alcohol inks on a lunch tin, which was an item comemorative of the product launch of Tim’s organizational products by Cropper Hopper, for the Ranger Distress, Alcohol Inks and Acrylic Dabbers. 

I’ll use this little thing to hold my Cut N Dry foam and felts too.  I cannot wait to get the whole line to carry my inks around.  It will be available in April, 2007. Distress Ink Case: Alcohol Ink Case:

Well that is it for the projects I made during CHA Winter. Next time I will cover some of my show favorites and celebrity sightings. Thanks for reading!