And the winner is…

CHA Highlights: A Look at the Chatterbox, Fancy Pants and Kaiser Craft Booths

Time for more CHA fun. Consider this your backstage pass. In this series of CHA videos, I take my camera into three stylin’ booths. Grab your box of Jujy Fruits, it’s showtime!

Chatterbox

Let’s begin this tour de CHA with a look at the stunning goodies Chatterbox has to offer. This clip has:

* Inspiring project ideas from various talented designers

* A look at a cool new brad tool

* Time with Melody Ross, sassy Chatterbox founder

Fancy Pants Designs

The Fancy Pants booth is always a packed house. I made my way in to do a little filming and ended up with:

* A peek at one of my favorite CHA releases

* A look at how they so cleverly display their products

* A glimpse at some darling design motifs, including one that made me “squeal with happiness”

Kaiser Craft

This hot company from Austrailia had lots of unique eye candy at their booth. In this short film you’ll:

* See why Kaiser Craft calls itself the “Kings of Bling”

*Get a look at a darling bitty bookshelf full of tiny mini albums (so fun!)

* Spend time with CK friend, Wendy Smedley

This series of clips shows you just how fun the CHA booths can be. From amazing projects and fresh new product to fun accents and happy faces, the CHA trade show is one smiling place that we love visiting twice a year. I hope this look inside the booths gave those of you who were unable to attend the show a taste of what it has to offer.

Time for a Giveaway

This time around, I want to know what inspires you the most about these clips. Is it seeing the project ideas or is the look at new products that gets your creative wheels turning? Or maybe its spending time with a few friendly faces. Please, do tell. From the comments received between now and Feb. 20, I’ll randomly select three winners to receive a CHA prize pack. Giddy up!

Cheers!

Megan Hoeppner, Creative Editor

CHA Highlights: Organization with a Twist

I’m a fan of organization. I love order, especially in my scrap space. That’s why I’m drawn to the ScrapOnizer systems. Very cool products. When I had the chance to visit the ScrapOnizer booth at CHA, I loved what I saw. Not only did their team add more incredible products to their line, but they also displayed some clever ideas for using the organization systems in creative ways. They’ve definitely taken everyday storage items to a new level. In this video, I’ll show you my favorite creative ideas from the ScrapOnizer booth, including ways to create party favors and make your own acrylic albums.

If you’re looking for even more ideas for organization, be sure to check out our March issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine, which is on newsstands now. In this special “organization issue,” you’ll find ideas for organizing your supplies, photos, sketches, thoughts and even journaling. And on our website this month, you’ll find even more ideas for getting organized. For example, our editorial team shares their favorite organization tips, and Beth Opel put together a month’s worth of ideas for getting your space organized. You can even take a quiz to find out your organization “personality type.” I’m “Über Good Enough.” Curious what that means and what your organization type is? Check out the quiz here.

And what would a “CHA Highlights” post be without the chance to win a goodie bag of products released at CHA? (Well, it would still be a great post, but contests always make them even better, right?) For the chance to win one of three goodie bags, simply leave a comment on this post by February 20 and let me know what types of organization tips you’d be most interested in learning about in Creating Keepsakes. Easy!

Brittany Beattie, Managing Editor

CHA Highlights: 5 Fun Trends

Each year, it seems that I leave CHA thinking, “Oh, how I love [fill in the blank with a cool trend here]!” And this year, I was delighted to leave the showing saying that of not one but several trends. Yes, it was a treat. I snapped photos of some of my favorites (though this list is not at all comprehensive) so you could enjoy the fun trends as well. Here are the trends in no particular order:

Trend: Zoo Animals
I couldn’t get enough of the adorable zoo animals at the show. In their cute, whimsical nature, they simply made me happy. In this image, you’ll find:
1. Bungle Jungle by Sassafras
2. Jungle Animals (wall vinyl) by Die Cuts With a View
3. Mindy’s Zoo by Autumn Leaves
4. Classic Animals by Hambly Screen Prints
5. Playday by SEI

Trend (Again): Woodland Animals
It’s true—the incredible woodland animals we loved at the last show are still going strong. And of course, they still never cease to inspire my creativity. This collage showcases:
1. Little Sprout by Crate Paper
2. Mommy & Me by Prima
3. Playful Pets by KI Memories

Trend: Elegant Flocking
Amid all the loveable animals, my eye was drawn to a more sophisticated trend as well: elegant flocking. I generally saw this in black/white or black/cream designs, but other color schemes popped up as well, such as the blue/white line from me & my BIG ideas. Three collections that I was lucky enough to photograph are:
1. Paris Nights by GCD Studios
2. Darcy by Anna Griffin
3. me & my BIG ideas

Trend: Cutesy Monsters
Going back to the cutesy themes, I loved all the little monsters that prowled the show floor. My love of all things monster began when I saw these adorable designs, all in the My Little Monsters collection by Daisy Bucket Designs.

Trend: Mushrooms
If you asked me a year ago if I ever thought I would say “that’s adorable” when I saw a mushroom, I’d have told you “no.” But several companies have proved me wrong. I somehow managed to snap not a single photo of this trend, but you’ll be able to check out some great finds at these links:
1. Mushroom House by Hero Arts
2. Toadstools by Die Cuts With a View

Your Favorite Trends?
Of course, in the spirit of our CHA Highlights series, if you leave me a comment about your favorite trends in scrapbooking designs (either featured here or not), you’ll be entered to win one of three randomly selected CHA prize packs. For your chance to win one of these prize packs, leave your comment by Feb. 20. All winners will be posted when our CHA series is complete.

Brittany, Managing Editor

american royalty

We are really proud of the fact that we have readers all over the globe. But today, since we are a U.S.-based company, we’d like to recognize the 44 leaders our nation has had at the helm over our 233-year history.

We’d like to encourage you to create a layout honoring one of our Presidents. Maybe you have visited a Presidential library or home or museum. In early January 2007,  I drove to Grand Rapids, Michigan, (I was living in Indiana at the time) to see Gerald Ford lie in state, and this is the layout I made to commemorate the occasion:

Now, even if you don’t have photos to work with, all is not lost! Do a Google image search or use a postcard or newspaper clipping (don’t forget the Archival Mist if you want to keep it safe for posterity) or omit photos altogether and simply create a page about a President who inspires you.

Aren’t those Presidential images fun? Each one was available at one time from an online shop. Getting crafty with our country’s leaders is tres-hip! And as a gift to you, here is a little tongue-in-cheek Presidents’ Day humor featuring some of CK’s fearless leaders. Go easy on me, though–I’m not a Photoshop genius like some of you are…enjoy!

Beth Opel, Senior Writer

CHA Highlights: Team events

Ready for more CHA fun? This time I have an inside glimpse at a few of our team events. Since this is Valentine’s Day weekend, I’m going to kick this post off with a video of Mandy Douglass, Creating Keepsakes2008 Scrapbooker of the Year, hosting a make-n-take event. She created a project you’re going to adore, using sweet dies from Sizzix.

 In this video, you’ll see:

* Cute Mandy Douglass, Creating Keepsakes2008 Scrapbooker of the Year, in action, along with her talented friend and Hall of Fame winner, Amy Martin

* An easy-to-use die cut machine and dies from Sizzix

* Get an easy-to-do project idea.

And here’s a look at Mandy’s cutie-pie projects:

This Sizzix candy box die flips open to reveal a peek at what’s inside.

Valentine’s Day may be over, but you can easily adapt these ideas for a birthday, a party favor and coordinating invitation, a cute Easter-basket surprise and more. Have fun with it!

Okay, back to the videos. The CK Media booth was a happenin’ place this CHA. When Mandy wasn’t busy creating, Brian Tippetts, our amazing editor-in-chief, and Amanda Probst, a darling CK author and contributing editor, where keeping the booth party going with book signings. In this flick we have:

* An interview with Brian Tippetts, CK’s editor-in-chief, and a look inside his new book Get Creative with Type

* An interview with Amanda Probst, CK contributing editor and author, and a look inside her new book Month by Month Scrapbooking!

In between walking the show floor and hanging at the booth, our team took time to recharge over lunch with a group of our CK friends. Enjoy this clip and get to know some of the talent behind our magazine.

Naturally, a CHA post wouldn’t be complete without a CHA giveaway. This time around, I’m looking for book feedback. Do you own any of our Creating Keepsakes books or special issues? If so, please leave a comment stating which is your favorite and why. If not, simply leave a comment stating which one(s)  is on your wish list (it doesn’t have to be one of the books shown in the video, but it certainly can be). You have until Friday, Feb. 20 to enter. From the comments received, we’ll select three random winners to receive new CHA goodies. Winners will be posted on our blog when our CHA series is complete. Good luck and thanks for playing! 🙂

Smiles,

Megan, Creative Editor

CHA Highlights: Techniques and new beauties!

Ready for more CHA delights? How does a cool new technique using adhesive sheets sound? Or an interview with Kezia Whitteker about the inspiration behind her Wellies & Brellas line from Creativity Inc.? Let’s get this product party started!

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L

In this interview with Karen Lang, designer for 3L, you’ll find:

* Fabulous ideas for using adhesive sheets with delicious scrapbooking toppings (glitter and flocking)

* Ideas for using 3L’s strongest adhesive, and what this power glue is

* Several unique and creative project ideas, including mini albums and home décor made with 3L adhesive and stunning Prima product.

Are you on Facebook? If so, check out 3L’s new Facebook group. While you’re at it, we’d love to have you join our CK group and become a Facebook fan of the magazine. By doing so, you’ll get insider tips, calls for scrapbook-page submissions, good company and more!

Creativity Inc.

I’ve had my eye on the umbrella and galoshes trend for a while now, and it finally seems to be hitting the scrapbook scene. The Wellies & Brellas line by Kezia is an adorable example of just how stylish these motifs can be. This video has:

* An exclusive interview with Kezia Whitteker, the creative mastermind behind this sparkling line

* An up-close look at this happy collection

* Information on where Kezia got her inspiration for this line. 

Did you like this round of flicks? I sure hope so. The same rules apply this time that applied in my last CHA post. Leave me a comment about what it is you found inspiring in this here post, and I’ll randomly select three lucky winners to receive CHA prize packs. You have until Feb. 20 to leave your comment. All winners will be posted when our CHA series is complete.

Note: While our CHA prize packs will include fabulously fresh new products from the show, they will not necessarily be products highlighted in this post.

Good luck!

Megan, Creative Editor  

P.S. We’re looking for some hot summer-themed pages for an upcoming article. Here’s what we’re after:

* Layout (single or double page)
* Color photos and multiple photos per page encouraged
* Summer-themed (think sunshine, outdoor activities/play and fun!)

Please e-mail scans to: editorial@creatingkeepsakes.com with “Sunshine” in the subject line.

Deadline for scans: Thursday morning, February 19.