random reflections

CHA Consumer Super Show

The CHA trade show started on Monday and went through Thursday. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday there. Cruising the show as Howard and Laura met with the manufacturers to decided what they will order was truly an education on what it takes to produce and create the products that we all love seeing hit the  scrapbook stores. On Thursday Howard, Deb, and I set up the Scrap-Mart booth for the CHA Consumer Super Show. I think the last time I worked this hard was the day we moved into our current house about 25 years ago. 

We started by unloading Howard's truck. It was packed solid from floor to roof, and that was just a small portion of the product that was delivered to the booth.

It took almost 11 hours to go from this:

To this:

 

And it still wasn't quite done when I snapped this shot. Scrap-Mart carries a wide range of products. Deb and I unpacked, checked off, priced, and hung the new Making Memories display of Vintage Jewelry.

This shot shows the Spellbinders display. Beyond that is a wall of Just-Rite, then Making Memory Slice, Eclipse machines and supplies, Xyron machines and supplies, the Vintage Findings display, American Crafts papers, Thickers, and embellishments, then Copic and Triart markers, as well as the Cuttlebug and Cuttlebug products. Tables held piles of American Craft cardstock.

I had seen a Scrap-Mart booth twice before---once in Buffalo where I first discovered Scrap-Mart and then in March in Pleasanton, CA when I first met Howard and Laura, the owners. I remember being overwhelmed in March by the amount of product, but never gave much thought to how it got set up. Now I know. On Friday and Saturday we manned the booth. Friday was incredibly busy and we never sat down from the time we arrived at the convention center about 9:00 am to finish pricing and setting up, to noon when the show opened and to 8:00 that night when the show ended for the day.

Saturday wasn't quite as busy so I was able to visit the Papertrey Ink booth, pick up some stamps and supplies, and do a Make & Take with Dawn McVey.

This is a view down the aisle at the Super Show. It was really fortunate for my budget that I didn't have time to shop any of the other booths.

It was a great show, and despite the hard work, I had a great time. I was really tired by the time I got home, so I have to admit it's been very nice to be here at Sarah's this week where I can just hang out and relax.

 

Photo Cards

Right before I left for Chicago, I needed to create some photo cards. A few weeks prior, I had picked up some Museum Parchment inkjet paper for just such a project. I'm very happy with the way they came out. I love the texture of the Museum Parchment paper. I've had the embossed photo cards for years and have no idea where I got them or who manufactured them. I wish I knew because I'd like to purchase some more.

 

 

These were all taken this spring in Highland Park where there is a lovely collection of magnolia trees.

Team-up Thursday: Up

For the first time Nancy and my photographs really couldn't be fit into a diptych so I made a little canvas for them. The top one is mine and was taken on our boat before I left for Chicago. I'm not sure where Nancy found this beautiful umbrella.

CHA: Part 2

There were lots of things I liked about attending CHA:  seeing new product, spotting folks I know through the internet, looking at fabulous sample layouts and cards, getting demos of new products, doing make & takes, and looking at the wonderful booth designs. I left my make & takes at home when I came to California so I'll have to save those for a later post. I'll also have another post about the CHA Consumer Super Show.

Here are some of the things I liked at CHA:

The display and the product for 7Gypsies Conservatory Collection:

 

I did a great make & take at the Teresa Collins booth. Here new collections---Freestyle, Celebrate, and Noel--are at the top of my wish list for the fall. Strangely enough I only took photos of the stamps for two of the sets. If you click on the link it will take you to one of her blog posts that shows the papers. I loved the papers, the tags, the transparencies, the stamps . . . the whole package!

It was fun to watch everyone crowd around Tim Holtz at the Ranger booth.

This was a display at the Ranger booth. There were so many great vintage items displayed with the new products.

 

I liked this one at Little Yellow Bicycle that highlighted their new Savor line.

 

 

The Doodlebug booth was about as cute as any at the show, and their products exude cuteness too!

 

We got an amazing demo at the Sizzix booth on how to cut folded papers into fabulous shapes using their dies.

 

Just-Rite Stamps had shelf after shelf of beautiful samples. I came home with an Autumn Blessings set I can't wait to ink up.

 

I did a Make & Take at Hero Arts with Sheri Carroll; so much fun to "meet" the folks you "see" on blogs week after week.

 

Here are a couple stamps sets I particularly liked from their new designs.

 

Studio Calico has some great new products coming out. I've already pre-ordered some of their new mists including a white opaque one. These rub-ons go on like butter. I did a make & take here as well.

 

Some of my favorite samples were at the Girls Paperie booth. I wasn't alone; it was really hard to get close enough to take a photo.

This layout is one by Karen Grunberg:

 

There was so much to see and take in that it can be overwhelming. Everyone was talking about how small this show was compared to the winter show. It was plenty big for me, and certainly was not a disappointment!

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

I got home from CHA and the CHA Super Show late Saturday night. On Sunday, I decided to fly out to California to spend a week with Sarah. Adam is off on a mission trip, and Sarah wasn't feeling well enough to go, so Tracy suggested I come. You didn't have to ask me twice. I arrived yesterday. Both of us are delighted, and it was great to be here for her 30th birthday today.

She got her "big" gift when we were here in March---plants and pots for a garden which is doing quite nicely. She has tomatoes, beans, strawberries, basil, peppers, zucchini, and some other herbs and flowers. Before I knew I would be here, I sent a couple of gifts to be opened on the real day. The first was a book she and I saw at Disneyland in March called The Princess Handbook. It's a really cute picture book with quite good instructions on how to be a princess. She's actually been practicing for 30 years now. The second was a journal Tracy and I found on our recent road trip. When we saw it, we both thought of her.

Of course, you can't have the journal without the tiara and the cape. I was hoping she'd be with a group of high school kids when she opened it, but it was just me. Nonetheless Sadie and I enjoyed the whole thing.

You can't have a birthday without a cake, so we went to Nothing Bundt Cakes today. Just as we were about to pay for our purchase, Sarah spotted Bundtinis and we changed our order. We have a dozen tiny cakes in four flavors: White White Chocolate, White Chocolate Raspberry, Chocolate Chocolate Chip, and Cinnamon Swirl.

 

And here's the card I sent her. It's a close lift of a card I saw on Melissa Phillips blog a long time ago. As soon as I saw it, I knew this would be Sarah's birthday card and I ordered the wooden crown from the Etsy shop linked in Melissa's post.

It's been a whirlwind week. I have two more posts to get up about CHA. I finished editing the photos today, so hopefully tomorrow I'll have time to do some writing too. Sarah and I are off for pedicures and manicures tomorrow morning, and perhaps to the mall afterwards. This visit is a gift for me as much as it is for her!