Creating Keepsakes Blog

CHA Wrap-Up: Day 6

08/15/2009 at 9:00 am | Posted in Insider's Look | 74 Comments
Tags: 7gypsies, Advantus, Bazzill Basics, Bella Blvd, blog candy, CHA, Creating Keepsakes, Doodlebug, Ellison, Hambly, Hampton Art Stamps, Jenni Bowlin, Jillibean Soup, Karen Foster Design, Maya Road, Megan Hoeppner, Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker, October Afternoon, Paper Wizard, Pink Paislee, Prima, Sizzix, Tim Holtz

Today is bittersweet for me. I’m not going to lie when I say that I’m slightly relieved to be giving you a break from my on-camera self. There’s only so much Meg-behind-the-camera a person can stand before it’s time to take a rest. But, I’m also sad to see our CHA festivities come to a close. I’ve had a blast sharing a little of our show experience with you, and I love, love, LOVE reading your thoughts after each post. You’ve had so many great ideas and suggestions to share. Thanks for taking the time to provide your thoughts.

Okay, so I imagine the daily giveaways probably had a little something to do with some of you sharing, and that’s okay. We’re not above bribing for information every now and then. 😉 Plus, we’re delighted to share some of the CHA goodies with those of you who are selected as our lucky winners.

WINNING NAMES

Winners will be posted under the “Giveaway” tab of this blog on Monday, so you have until Sunday, August 16 at 11:59 PM MT to post comments on any of our CHA posts, including this one, to qualify.

IMPORTANT: We do not contact winners directly. Instead, we ask that you contact us. So please, check that tab for your name. I can’t tell you how many prizes have gone unclaimed because we haven’t heard back from our lucky folks. Tie a string around that creative finger of yours and make a note to check the tab on Monday (probably in the late morning, as I’ll need time to select my winners and post them when I get in on Monday). Thanks!

Let’s conclude our CHA adventures with some highlight photos. Here are a few of the bright spots on our CHA trail this time around:

PROJECTS
Check out some of the amazing project ideas spotted on the show floor.

Like this one from Bella Blvd. Aren’t the bright colors fun?

 

Giddyup! This page found in the Karen Foster Design booth has some real cowgirl appeal!

How cool is the masking on this mini album found at the Hambly booth?

 

It was tea time in the Pink Paislee booth.

 

This mini album from Prima brings out the happy child within.

 

Just as this layout suggests, it was all good in the Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker booth.

 

Christmas came early in the Bazzill booth. I L-O-V-E that green pompom tree. What a festive idea!

  

NEW PRODUCTS

CHA wouldn’t be CHA without the new-product overload. Here’s just a small sampling of the treats that  caught our eyes. 

As a self-described bird nerd, all of these stamps from Hampton Art Stamps have me hooting and hollering with happiness.

 

Thanks to the new line of storage products from Doodlebug, organizing has never been cuter.

 

My heart skipped a beat when I came across these newest flowers from Prima.

 

These frosted accents from Maya Road have real character.

 

Our camera doesn’t do the intricate details of these Paper Wizard accents justice. They’re amazing!

  

DISPLAYS
Really, so much of the magic of CHA lies in the presentation. Take a look at these stylish approaches.

The fine folks at October Afternoon displayed some of their sassy projects on this cool looking tree.

 

Tim Holtz’s style is all over these awesome displays found in the Advantus booth.

 

Our friends at Jillibean Soup weren’t chicken. They displayed their products prominently on wire. Fun!

 

7gypsies hung their beautiful paper with ribbon. Wouldn’t something like this look pretty hanging on the wall in your craft room?

FASHION
Leave it to the creativity of scrapbookers to turn their favorite scrap elements into stylish wears.

 

The fashionistas at Jenni Bowlin turned chipboard buttons into bubbly bracelets.

 

Look at this necklace, created from a Sizzix die. Isn’t it stunning? 

 

The beauties at Bella Blvd. made a canvas bag bloom using their new flowers. 

 

If you look closely at this purse, you’ll see that part of it is made of Prima packaging. How’s that for resourceful? 

 

In need of a Halloween costume this year? You could always make yourself a paper witch hat like this cute number from Pink Paislee.

 

YOUR QUESTIONS
All week you’ve been leaving fantastic questions in the comments section of our blog. Here are answers to a few of those:

 Q. Love the new boxes from Scrapsessories! I was packing up last night for a crop and was whining about how I didn’t have anything to keep my paints and stickles in for easy travel (yes they are in plastic storage bags right now). Can we order these yet?! -Kristyn G.

A. Great question. Our friends at ScrapCessories have a list of where you can purchase their innovative products on their website. And, Daphne, the smart brain behind this product, actually left a comment on our blog, letting you know that the Stickles and paint containers will be released soon. Thanks for visiting and sharing that info, Daphne.

Q. Yes… what percentage of the show is scrapbooking? What about other crafts and hobbies? Do y’all ever “cross over” into the other crafting arenas for ideas that fit with papercrafting? Just curious. -Angmomof3

A. You know, Ang, this show was a little unusual. In years past, there has been a good balance of scrapbooking and other crafts. Since the scrapbooking industry took off in popularity, the show has always had more scrapbooking than “other,” but the balance was still good. This show, on the other hand, was very scrapbooking heavy. There were booths with other crafts at the show, but they were few and far between. I’d say maybe 5% of this show was “other.” And, yes, we do cross over into other industries. I love using yarn, beads, fabric and paint on my pages, and you’ll oftentimes see pages with multiple mediums in our magazine. Thanks for asking and showing interest.

Q. The thought of all that scrappy (and other crafty) goodness in one spot – how do you manage to cope without sensory overload?! -Margot/NZ

A. You hit the nail on the head, Margot. “Sensory overload” is definitely what happens at CHA. There are SO many wonderful things to see, feel and take in. We tend to cope by taking lots of pictures (and video) and plenty of notes. Plus, we always gather catalogs from each company. Having these things to go back to after the show makes it easier to remember everything and take it all in.

Thanks for all of the fantastic questions!

MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS
To conclude this CHA party, I wanted to share a little video of our CHA CK contributor lunch. I adore spending time with the talented women behind some of the designs you see in the magazine and thought you’d like getting a little time with them as well.

Thanks for welcoming me into your . . . computers this week. I hope you’ve had as much fun as I have reliving (or experiencing or the first time) some of our memorable CHA moments. We look forward to spending time like this with you this winter when CHA Winter rolls around. In the meantime, watch for your favorite CHA finds to appear in upcoming issues of CK.

Cheers!
Megan Hoeppner, Creative Editor  

P.S. Any comments go this time. Thanks for sharing!